Are Chargers calling Jets about trade for the wrong WR?

Chris Roling | Oct 20, 2024

Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

By now, NFL fans surely understand that the Los Angeles Chargers have called the New York Jets about a trade for Mike Williams, especially after multiple new reports said as much.

But what if the Chargers are after the wrong Jets receiver? 

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, teams have also been calling the Jets about wide receiver Garrett Wilson. The report says that, at least so far, the Jets "are not planning to trade Wilson" right now. 

But things can change fast in the NFL—just ask Williams, the guy tossed under the bus by Aaron Rodgers before the Jets traded for Davante Adams. 

While Williams is the more obvious trade candidate for the Jets right now, Wilson would be the more attractive long-term idea. He was the No. 10 pick in the 2022 draft and posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons over his first two years in the league. 

Were the Chargers to cough up the necessary assets to make a deal happen, pairing Wilson with breakout rookie Ladd McConkey would obviously be a nice boon for Justin Herbert. Williams will be cheaper and has the advantage of prior experience with Herbert and the Chargers, of course, but Wilson is just 24 years old with unexplored upside in an offense that can move the ball well. 

If nothing else, the Chargers should at least sniff around the idea. The Jets are a mess, so who knows? The team just fired head coach Robert Saleh, made a trade to appease its star quarterback and the front office might not like the idea of paying Wilson in the neighborhood of $35 million per year once he becomes eligible for an extension next summer. It wasn’t that long ago that Wilson didn’t sound thrilled about the Jets’ offense, anyway. 

New Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz has stacked lots of quality moves since joining the franchise, so fans can at least trust that this is a conversation that has already come up in some fashion, at least in the name of due diligence. 

— Enjoy free coverage of the Chargers from Los Angeles Chargers on SI —

More Los Angeles Chargers News:

3 realistic trade targets for the Los Angeles Chargers before deadline

Why Los Angeles Chargers Will Beat Cardinals, Why They Won’t, and a Prediction

Former Chargers star breaks silence about possible trade before deadline

Chargers vs. Cardinals final injury report: Updates, news for Week 7