MIKE WILLIAMS NEWS

Officially listed as limited Friday Williams (hamstring) returned to practice in a limited fashion Friday, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.

Impact Williams' return to practice is important, but his activity in Saturday's session will reveal more about his status for Monday's game against the Saints. If he misses a second straight game, Jalen Guyton and Jason Moore will likely see most of the snaps in three-receiver sets alongside Keenan Allen.

OCTOBER 9, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Back at practice Williams (hamstring) returned to practice Friday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Impact The Chargers won't reveal until after the session whether Williams was a limited or full participant, but his return to practice in any capacity suggests that he could suit up Monday night against the Saints after sitting out the team's Week 4 loss to the Buccaneers.

OCTOBER 9, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Misses practice Thursday Williams (hamstring) is not practicing Thursday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Impact Coach Anthony Lynn said that Williams is "slowly working his way back" after having missed the Chargers' Week 4 contest against the Buccaneers due to a hamstring injury, per Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register. Williams will have two more chances to resume practicing before being tagged with an official injury designation for Monday's upcoming game against the Saints, but for now it looks as though he's trending in the wrong direction.

OCTOBER 8, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Won't play Week 4 Williams (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest in Tampa Bay.

Impact Williams didn't play much during the second half of the Chargers' Week 3 loss to the Panthers. Late in the contest, he was deemed questionable to return due to a hamstring injury, an issue that kept him off the practice field this week. As such, it's no surprise Williams won't suit up Sunday. Look for Jalen Guyton to receive most of the reps at outside receiver as long as Williams is sidelined.

OCTOBER 2, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Not practicing Friday Williams (back) wasn't spotted at practice Friday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Impact That's not a good sign with regard to Williams' Week 4 status and if he's ruled out for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, added opportunities behind top wide receiver Keenan Allen would be available for Jalen Guyton and KJ Hill.

OCTOBER 2, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Another missed practice Williams (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Impact Back-to-back absences have set the stage for what Williams does at practice Friday to be pivotal with regard to his Week 4 status. If the wideout is limited or out Sunday against the Buccaneers, added work behind top wide receiver Keenan Allen would be on tap for Jalen Guyton and KJ Hill.

OCTOBER 1, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Sits out practice Wednesday Williams (hamstring) won't practice Wednesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Impact Williams' status will thus need to be tracked in advance of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. If he's limited or out this weekend, added snaps and targets behind behind top wide receiver Keenan Allen would be available for Jalen Guyton and KJ Hill.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Picks up hamstring injury Williams injured his hamstring during Sunday's contest against the Panthers.

Impact Williams spent much of the third quarter and some of the fourth in the sideline medical tent before the Chargers issued a diagnosis. The severity of the injury is unknown, but now the oft-injured wideout will need to be watched to determine whether he's in danger of missing time. If Williams needs to sit out a game or games, Jalen Guyton and Joe Reed would be the candidates to take on reps at outside receiver.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Does little in Week 2 Williams recorded two receptions on four targets for 14 yards in a 23-20 overtime loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.

Impact It was a lackluster outing for Williams, particularly after re-asserting his deep-game prowess in the Week 1 win over the Bengals. That's in large part thanks to a game script that emphasized getting 2020 No. 6 overall pick Justin Herbert comfortable in his first career start, with Keenan Allen (seven catches for 96 yards) and Hunter Henry (six for 83 yards) racking up most of the team's passing yardage. It's still a bit troubling Williams only received four targets in a game where the Chargers attempted 33 passes, especially considering Herbert's deep ball should in theory aid Williams much more than that of nominal starter Tyrod Taylor.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Trending closer to full health Williams, who was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, is feeling "more explosive" after emerging from Sunday's win without aggravating his shoulder or 2019 knee injury, Dan...

Impact Williams' shoulder injury was reportedly set to keep him out for three-to-four weeks, but after a week's worth of questionable designations, the big-bodied wideout managed to play Sunday and comfortable asserted himself as one of Tyrod Taylor's top targets. It's all the more impressive given Williams was limited by a knee injury for much of 2019 as well, sapping the Clemson product of some of his trademark leaping ability along with his speed after the catch. Williams heads into next week's matchup against the Chiefs closer to full health, which could be important considering he averages 54.2 yards and 5.4 targets in five career games against his division foe.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Posts decent receiving day Williams (shoulder) snared four of his nine targets to the tune of 69 receiving yards in Sunday's 16-13 win over the Bengals.

Impact Williams led the team in targets, but most of those came on errant deep throws throughout the first half. The big-bodied wideout did manage to narrowly come down with a touchdown reception on the second-to-last possession in the fourth quarter, and was clearly a designed target on a number of red zone plays throughout the contest, but it was ultimately just a ho-hum contest for the 25-year-old. The fact Williams even managed to play at all is a minor miracle as it was reported only two weeks ago the wide receiver could miss up to a month after spraining his shoulder during training camp. It certainly didn't seem to be a limiting factor Sunday, although it's possible the Chargers could feature Williams even more in future weeks after he successfully made it through the contest without aggravating the injury.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Suits up Sunday Williams (shoulder) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Impact It remains to be seen how close to a full workload Williams will see in Week 1, but he'll tough it out through his shoulder issue Sunday and is thus slated to work alongside PPR-ace Keenan Allen versus the Bengals.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Expected to play in Week 1 Williams (shoulder) is expected to play Sunday against the Bengals, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Impact That echoes a previous report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, which noted that the wideout is trending toward active status, assuming no setbacks in warmups. Williams, who was limited at practice this past week, had been looking pretty iffy for Week 1 as of Saturday night, but Schefter relays that "the team now believes he's ready to play." Confirmation, either way, will arrive upon the release of the Chargers' inactive list in advance of Sunday's 4:05 ET kickoff. If Williams is indeed in uniform, it's unclear if he'll be ready for a full workload, but when available, he's set to be part of the team's clear-cut top wide receiver duo along with PPR-ace Keenan Allen.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

May be available Week 1 after all The Chargers are optimistic that Williams (shoulder), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Cincinnati, will be available to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Impact As of late Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Williams was trending toward sitting out the season opener after he was limited in practice throughout the week due to the sprained AC joint he suffered in training camp, but the wideout's outlook apparently improved overnight. Rapoport notes that at this stage, Williams' availability for the opener is not 100 percent locked in, as the Chargers want to see how he fares in warmups before deciding on his status. Even if Williams gets the green light to play, he would be difficult to trust in fantasy lineups, given his limited game experience with starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor along with the fact that he could still be compromised by the injury.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Unlikely to play Sunday Williams (shoulder) isn't expected to play Sunday against the Bengals, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Impact The 25-year-old is officially considered questionable after working as a limited participant at practice this week, but it appears he's trending in the wrong direction heading into Sunday. Coach Anthony Lynn was expecting Williams to be a game-time decision, so there's still a chance he could play Sunday if his shoulder shows some improvement. Jalen Guyton and Joe Reed are likely to step in as an outside receiver should Williams be unable to suit up.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Deemed questionable for opener Williams (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest at Cincinnati.

Impact Williams managed limited sessions this week while working his way through a sprained shoulder, which has hampered him since an Aug. 23 practice. Coach Anthony Lynn has referred to Williams as a likely "game-time decision," one with fantasy management implications due to the Chargers kicking off the season Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET. If Williams is inactive, his replacements at outside receiver will be Jalen Guyton and Joe Reed.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Returns limited in practice Williams (shoulder) remained limited at practice Thursday.

Impact Coach Anthony Lynn has previously indicated that Williams figures to be a "game-time decision" for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Bengals, which suggests that the wideout will probably end up with an official "questionable" designation in the Chargers' final Week 1 injury report.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Logs limited practice Wednesday Williams (shoulder) practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday.

Impact That's definitely a step in the right direction for Williams, especially considering previous speculation that the wideout's shoulder issue could impact his availability well into September. As is stands, coach Anthony Lynn has indicated that Williams figures to be a "game-time decision" for Sunday's season opener against the Bengals.

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

May be game-time decision Sunday Head coach Anthony Lynn said Williams (shoulder) is a "game-time decision" for Sunday's game versus the Bengals, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.

Impact On Saturday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reported that the Chargers were preparing to play without Williams for most of September, so Lynn's announcement is a clear contradiction. When Williams was first diagnosed with a sprained shoulder on Aug. 25, he was given a 2-to-4 week timeline, and Sunday's game will be nearly three weeks after the injury. His final status will likely depend on how the injury responds during practice this week.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

May miss most of September The Chargers may be without Williams (shoulder) for most of September, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Impact Williams is nearly two weeks removed from suffering a sprained shoulder, which was expected to require 2-to-4 weeks to recover. If the absence includes Week 1 and at least one of the Chargers' two subsequent games, he's clearly trending toward the latter end of that range. As long as Williams is sidelined, snaps at outside receiver will be available for Jalen Guyton and Joe Reed.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Could be a go in Week 1 Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen suggests that Williams (shoulder) has a shot to play in Week 1 against the Bengals, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports. "Mik...

Impact We'll get a better read on Williams' Week 1 status once official practice participation reports start rolling in next week, but it sounds like the starting wideout could well tough it out in the Chargers' season opener. If that's the case, he'll be catching passes from confirmed starting QB Tyrod Taylor.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Out 2-to-4 weeks Williams is expected to be out 2-to-4 weeks due to a sprained shoulder, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Impact With such a timeline, Williams' availability for Week 1 in Cincinnati could be in peril, which is backed up by comments from coach Anthony Lynn earlier Tuesday. Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Lynn said Williams is "out for awhile" and may not be ready for the opener. The Chargers will take a wait-and-see approach with the fourth-year wideout, and in the meantime the likes of Jalen Guyton and Joe Reed seem poised to work on the outside in Williams' place.

AUGUST 25, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Looking dicey for Week 1 Coach Anthony Lynn isn't sure if Williams (shoulder) will be available for Week 1, saying the wide receiver will be "out for a while," Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Impact Williams sprained his shoulder during Sunday's practice and now appears likely to miss the rest of training camp. The Chargers haven't ruled him out for Week 1 at Cincinnati, but at the very least, he figures to have a spot on the injury report. The team's wideout depth behind Williams and Keenan Allen is a major weakness, with Jalen Guyton, Darius Jennings, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill the top candidates to fill in.

AUGUST 25, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Diagnosed with sprained shoulder Williams is considered week-to-week with a shoulder sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Impact Williams suffered the injury during Sunday's practice, exactly three weeks before the Chargers' season opener in Cincinnati. Rapoport suggests the wideout is no lock to play in that contest, though it sounds like a long-term absence isn't expected. Williams' collarbone is intact, so he at least avoided the worst-case scenario that was initially speculated when he walked off the practice field with his arm hanging at his side. Any absence would be a big deal for the Chargers offense, which arguably has the weakest receiver depth in the league behind Williams and fellow starter Keenan Allen. If Williams were to miss the season opener, candidates to join the starting lineup would include Jalen Guyton, Darius Jennings and rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.

AUGUST 24, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Getting shoulder checked out Williams is slated to undergo tests on his shoulder after leaving practice early Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Impact The report also notes that Williams' collarbone "checked out fine," offering hope that the wideout avoided a serious injury. If Williams ends up missing more than a few days, however, the Chargers may be forced to add some wide receiver depth, given the team's lack of proven options behind Keenan Allen and Williams.

AUGUST 23, 2020 • ROTOWIRE