The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Friday that wide receiver Mike Williams will not play in Saturday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars because of a back injury.
According to multiple reports, Williams has a fracture in his back. Initial MRI and X-Rays didn't reveal the injury, but further testing did ahead of Friday's announcement, NFL Network and ESPN report. Williams is expected to be sidelined for at least 2-3 weeks, per the reports, meaning that he won't be available for the divisional round of the playoffs and perhaps beyond in the event that the Chargers advance.
The Chargers didn't confirm the specifics of Williams' injury, but noted that he's remaining in Los Angeles to receive further treatment while his teammates travel to Jacksonville for the game.
Williams sustained the injury in Week 18's loss to the Denver Broncos, a game that had no bearing on the Chargers' playoff circumstances. The Chargers clinched the No. 5 seed and the AFC's top wild-card spot when the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens earlier on Sunday. The Chargers lost to the Broncos, a result that didn't hurt their playoff standing. A win wouldn't have improved it.
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley opted to play multiple starters through three quarters rather than opting to rest them and mitigate injury risk ahead of the playoffs. Williams is a top target of quarterback Justin Herbert’s and one of the Chargers’ most valuable offensive weapons when healthy.
