THE WILLIAMS FILE
CFP National Champion, 2016
First-team All-ACC, 2016
Signed a three-year, $60 million contract extension, 2022
By Lenn Robbins
The Chargers used the seventh pick in the 2017 NFL Draft on former Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams and waited for him to develop into an elite pro. They waited and waited and waited.
The patience paid off last season when Williams – in his fifth season - posted the best numbers of his career: 76 catches for 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns. Suddenly the Chargers have as dangerous a receiving duo as there is in the league – Williams and Keenan Allen.
"That was what [head] coach [Brandon] Staley and the group wanted me to do: showcase everything that I can do in my game -- the short routes -- getting the ball in my hands in space and making plays happen with my legs," Williams told reporters. "That's kind of what the group wanted me to do. They wanted me to be a playmaker, and I was able to showcase that.”
The Charger rewarded Williams, 27, with a three-year, $60-million deal. They’ll have a 24-year-old quarterback in Justin Herbert throwing to Williams and Allen, 30, for at least the next three years. Patience pays.