Chargers reportedly hoping Mike Williams will be ready for October debut
With the Chargers now two weeks into training camp, it has become pretty clear in Los Angeles that first-round pick Mike Williams (back) won't be on the field for the team's regular season opener in September.
As a matter of fact, the team likely won't have Williams for the entire first month of the season. However, there is a chance the rookie wide receiver could be back in uniform before the Chargers reach the midpoint of their 2017 schedule.
According to NFL.com, the Chargers are hoping that Williams will be able to make his regular season debut at some point in October. That's actually good news when you consider that fact that there were several reports in July that insisted that Williams might miss the entire season.
Williams has been dealing with a herniated disc in his back since OTAs, and since the injury hadn't healed by the time the Chargers reported to training camp in late July, the team was forced to put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP).
The Chargers only made that move so he would be eligible to be placed on the PUP list to start the regular season, however, it's unclear if that's going to happen. Williams is currently healthy enough to sprint on a treadmill, and he's also been able to join the team on the practice field.
According to NFL.com, the team is hoping that Williams won't have to open the regular season on the PUP list.
If Williams is on the PUP list to start the season, that means he'd have to sit out at least the first six games and wouldn't be eligible to play until Week 7 (Oct. 22) when the Chargers host the Broncos. If Williams is placed on the active roster to start the season, the team believes he might be able to start practicing in September, which means he could possibly get on the field as early as Week 4 or 5.
Since Williams' health status is still up in the air, the team hasn't decided whether or not he will be on the PUP list to start the regular season. If the No. 7 overall pick in the NFL Draft can contribute at all for Los Angeles this year, that would be a big boon for a a Chargers offense that already includes Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry and Travis Benjamin.