The Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver informed the team of his plans to retire from the NFL on Wednesday night, a person close to the situation told USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon. The person spoke on a condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter.
The team confirmed the news, sharing a post on X, thanking the receiver.
It ends an eight-year career for Williams in the place where it started. The Chargers selected the receiver with the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft in the hopes that he would form one of the league’s best duos with Keenan Allen.
Williams struggled with injuries throughout his career, most recently playing for the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. It was his one, and only, season away from the Chargers.
He struggled to produce last season, totaling just 21 catches, 298 yards and one touchdown in 18 games.
Williams finishes his career with two 1,000-yard seasons that came in 2019 and 2021. He posted 330 receptions, 5,104 yards and 32 touchdowns in 106 games. Unfortunately for Williams, the story of his career was marked by his poor luck with the injury bug.
Between a back injury early in his career and a torn ACL later on, those issues ultimately took a toll on the big-bodied receiver.
Hoping to regain his footing following a tough season, Williams opted to return to the Chargers in free agency.
After inking a one-year, $3 million deal earlier this offseason with the team, Williams was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list ahead of training camp.
