If he were to hit free agency, Mike Williams would be in line for a lucrative new contract, either with the Chargers of another club. It appears that won’t be the case, however. Tyler Dragon of USA Today reports that “the Chargers are prepared to franchise tag” him in the absence of a long-term deal (Twitter link). 
The former top-ten pick played out his fifth year option in 2021 without inking a new deal at any point. That didn’t come as a surprise, as it was reported before the beginning of the season that both sides seemed content to wait until this offseason. That decision likely earned the 27-year-old a notable payday.
Williams posted career highs in catches (76) and yards (1,146) this campaign, adding nine touchdowns, the second-most times he’s found the endzone in a season. It was the second time he eclipsed 1,000 yards, and the first since the Bolts drafted quarterback Justin Herbert. He helped the Chargers rank second in the league in passing yards, and fifth overall in scoring.
In 2022, the cost of a franchise tag is set to be $19.1MM for receivers. That would be a sizeable increase from the $15.7MM Williams earned playing out the option last season; perhaps more notably, it would also outpace the money due to No. 1 receiver Keenan Allen in each of the next two seasons. Still, a longer deal somewhere around that figure is a possibility, even if the team tags Williams next week to buy more time for negotiations.
Either on the tag, or as the beginning of a lengthier second contract, the Chargers can certainly afford to keep their dynamic receiver tandem intact. They are currently scheduled to have more than $56MM in cap space, with Allen under contract until 2025 and Herbert still on his rookie deal. Williams’ absence from the free agent market would be noteworthy, though it would still leave the likes of Davante Adams, Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson potentially in line for new homes.
If for some reason Williams should hit the open market, the division-rival Chiefs would be prepared to pounce. Per Adam H. Beasley of Pro Football Network, Kansas City is among the teams that have done their due diligence on Williams, and KC would love the chance to pair Williams’ size and big-play ability with Tyreek Hill, which would certainly keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night. That seems like an unlikely scenario, but it’s worth nothing nonetheless, as it suggests that the Chiefs could be in the market for other FA receivers as well.
Beasley adds that a long-term accord between Williams and the Chargers is not imminent at this point, so it looks like the franchise tag will be forthcoming.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
