New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh met with the media Thursday and gave an update on wide receiver Mike Williams.
On Wednesday, the former Clemson star was activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list after he passed his physical, and thus Williams is now able to be back on the practice field.
Williams is coming off a torn ACL in Week 3 of last season, and Saleh said Thursday that while Williams is ahead of schedule in his recovery, he was limited to individual work in training camp and won’t do team drills for another week or two.
“Good news is obviously he’s a lot further ahead than we anticipated,” Saleh said . “He’ll be involved in all the walk-throughs, individual, routes on air. So for the next week or two, that’s about the extent of what we’ll see, unless he starts feeling good. But we’re anticipating him getting back into team work, call it a couple weeks from now.”
Williams, who is entering his first season with the Jets, also spoke with reporters Thursday.
Back in June, Williams said he expected to be ready for the start of the 2024 season, though he was non-committal Thursday on that Week 1 timeline.
“I guess we’ve gotta see,” he said, smiling, via SNY .
The Jets open the 2024 campaign against the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET Sept 9., ESPN/ABC).
Thursday marked Williams’ practice debut with the Jets, and per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, he was greeted by Jets quarterback and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, who didn’t practice Thursday due to inclement weather.
Prior to Thursday, Williams had been working off to the side, so he enjoyed being out there in pads with his new teammates.
“It felt good,” he said. “Putting on shoulder pads, running with the guys — it felt good.”
One of the NFL’s most dynamic and explosive wide receivers, Williams recorded 19 receptions for 249 yards and one touchdown for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 before his season was cut short by the torn ACL. He signed a one-year deal worth up to $15 million with the Jets in March after being released by the Chargers.
Williams spoke about what makes him different in the Jets’ receiver room and how they all compliment each other.
“I’m different. Obviously, a big, physical receiver,” Williams said. “Garrett (Wilson) — route-runner, explosive also, can run every route tree in the route book. (Xavier Gipson) — fast, explosive. Allen (Lazard) — big, physical receiver also. I feel like we’ve got a different group of guys in our room and I feel like we compliment each other very well.”
Williams, 29, spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Chargers, who made him the seventh overall selection in the 2017 draft.
The 6-foot-4, 218-pounder has dealt with injuries throughout his time in the league but been highly productive when healthy, piling up 309 catches for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns across 88 career games.
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