New York Jets Star Wide Receiver Will Reportedly Be Limited in Opener

As we head into Week 1, New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams will be limited in the season-opener.

Nov 22, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams (81) scores on a touchdown pass against the New York Jets in the first quarter at SoFi Stadium. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The New York Jets are getting ready for the start of the season, as they will have a big test right out of the gate against the San Francisco 49ers. 

It has been a long wait for the Jets to start the season, as one could say their 2023 season ended in Week 1 of last year. This offseason, New York made a lot of improvements to the roster to hopefully give them the best chance of snapping their long playoff drought. 

One of the additions this offseason was the signing of Mike Williams from the Los Angeles Chargers. Even though quarterback play was poor for the Jets last season, it was clear that wide receiver was also an issue outside of Garrett Wilson. 

New York addressed those concerns by signing Williams and drafting Malachi Corely in the 2024 NFL Draft.

As we get closer to Monday Night Football, head coach Robert Saleh recently gave an update on the status of Williams heading into Week 1. 

“[Williams] could be ready for 60 plays and we’re still going to be very smart with how we use him,” Saleh said Brian Costello of the New York Post . “It’s no different than Breece. Breece was ready to roll but we wanted to make sure we were forward-thinking with regard to the long haul. He’s going to have plenty of impact on this game, but at the same time we’re going to be smart with him because our eyes are on the entire season, not just Week 1.”

Williams is coming off a torn ACL from last season, and while he has been able to participate in training camp, the Jets are going to be careful with him early on this season, it seems like. 

New York went through a similar return last season, as Breece Hall was coming off ACL surgery as well. New York certainly kept his workload monitored early on in the season, and it paid off toward the end as Hall really seemed to find his groove toward the end of the season. 

For Williams, he has an excellent opportunity with the Jets. With Wilson being the No.1 receiver, Williams will be able to see a lot of single coverage when he is on the field, as opposing defenses will certainly be worried about Wilson and Hall. 

In the red zone, Williams could also become a favorite target for Rodgers with his big frame, as Rodgers loves throwing toward the back shoulder to big receivers in the end zone. 

Hopefully, the plan that New York has to slowly bring Williams into the fold helps keep him healthy, as he has the type of talent that could help the team succeed in 2024.