It turns out you can go home again, and Mike Williams feels he's better for it.
The 30-year-old wideout returned to the Los Angeles Chargers this week on a one-year deal after a season away. In his introductory news conference, he made it clear testing out newer pastures hadn't been his call.
“Never wanted to leave on my side, but it’s the business part of football and things happen," Williams said Friday. "Now I’m back, and happy to be back.”
Williams, a former No. 7 overall pick, spent his first seven seasons with the Chargers. Often beset by injuries, he was nonetheless a fearsome big-play threat for the Bolts during his initial tenure, racking up 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns on 309 receptions.
Following an ACL tear three games into his 2023 campaign, Williams was eventually cut by L.A. last offseason.
He caught on with the New York Jets within a week, about the only element of his roller-coaster 2024 that went smoothly.
Williams continued rehabbing his knee with a new medical staff, an adjustment he mentioned during his news conference.
And although he also told reporters he had good experiences picking Aaron Rodgers' brain in New York and working with head coach Mike Tomlin after the Steelers traded for him midseason, his statistical output was severely lacking.
He never found his footing with the Jets, a struggle accentuated by Rodgers seeming to take issue with his route-running on an interception during a Week 6 Monday night loss to the Buffalo Bills. Gang Green traded for Davante Adams the next day, rendering Williams redundant to an offense featuring Adams and Garrett Wilson.
Hence, the trade to Pittsburgh, where he fared little better.
Williams amassed 21 catches for 298 yards and a TD while playing nine games apiece for the Jets and Steelers. Outside of his rookie year and his injury-shortened 2023 campaign, it by far marked the worst season of his career.
He's not shying away from that, nor is Williams unaware he now has something to prove.
"Last year was terrible for me," he said. "I’m just being honest. It was terrible. Probably the worst year I had in the league by far. So, yeah, I’m just putting it in the past. That was the past. Trying to make it feel like it didn’t happen for me. But, yeah, just getting back to what I’m used to doing and having fun. That’s my main thing. This is where it all started and I’m excited to be back.”
Of course, not all is the same.
Jim Harbaugh has taken over the reins, but Williams liked what he saw from afar as Los Angeles returned to the playoffs in the head coach's first year. And the quarterback position importantly remains unchanged, with Justin Herbert perennially knocking on the door of joining the league's top-tier signal-callers.
“Obviously we’ve played a lot of football together, so I feel like he trusts me," Williams said about Herbert. "He puts the ball wherever I need it. He just puts the ball up and I got get it. We’ve gained a lot of trust in each other over the years. I’m excited just to get back with him, get on the field, gaining that connection back and making plays again.”
For now, Williams slots back in as another big body for a wide receiver room led by Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston.
Asked if he was recruiting former teammate, free-agent wideout Keenan Allen, to keep the reunion theme going, Williams somewhat bypassed the question. He admitted he wouldn't mind Allen coming back one bit, though.
“We ain’t going to speak on that," he said with a laugh. "We ain’t going to talk about that. I’d love that. I would love that.”