Mike Williams won't see the field during training camp.
The Los Angeles Chargers announced Sunday the rookie receiver is not expected to practice during training camp after being placed on the active/physically unable to perform list. Williams met team doctors on Saturday.
Williams has yet to catch a single pass from quarterback Philip Rivers during workouts since being selected No. 7 overall in the draft.
Williams has progressed after dealing with a herniated disc suffered earlier this offseason with GM Tom Telesco saying on Thursday that Williams was "responding well."
Not well enough to practice, however.
If there is one positive bend for the Chargers, it's that they are deep at the receiver position. Keenan Allen returns healthy, Tyrell Williams is a big-play machine, Travis Benjamin is a deep threat, Dontrell Inman is a capable fourth receiver -- that doesn't even take into account tight ends Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry.
Speaking on NFL Network's Inside Training Camp Live on Sunday, analyst and Chargers special assistant to the owner LaDainian Tomlinson said the hope is that rest is all Williams needs to get back on the field.
"We all were hoping that he would get over that back issue and kinda be able to avoid going under the knife -- and we still don't know yet," Tomlinson told NFL Network's Alex Flanagan. "I think the best thing for Mike is to rest and rehab and hopefully in two or three weeks he can get back on the field. The good thing is, we have a deep receiving corps, guys who have done it at a high level. Even when Keenan Allen was hurt last year we had guys step up. So this is a deep group. We'll miss Mike for however long he's out, but I think these guys that we have can get it done."
If Williams misses all of training camp, it's likely the Chargers will ease the rookie into the rotation and could hold him out the first few games of the regular season.
