A day after he did not practice, wide receiver Mike Williams returned to the Jets facility.
Williams missed practice and was listed on the Jets injury report on Thursday for personal reasons.
However, there has been speculation on whether Williams will remain with the Jets. After they acquired Davante Adams in a trade with the Raiders on Tuesday, the Chargers, Steelers, and Saints are three teams who have reached out to the Jets about trading for Williams, according to The Athletic.
Following Monday’s 23-20 loss to the Bills, Aaron Rodgers also called out Williams during his post-game press conference for running the wrong route on his pass that cornerback Taron Johnson intercepted late in the fourth quarter, effectively ending any chance of a Jets comeback.
During his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers reiterated that Williams ran the wrong route on the Jets’ final offensive play of the game.
“When I’ve made mistakes, ‘I’ve got to play better, make that throw,’ that’s the standard for everyone,” Rodgers said. “There were a lot of mistakes throughout the night, but if you’re looking at just that play, that’s what the questions were. ‘What happened on that play?’
“Well, it was two verticals on the right side. Mike needed to get to the red line, which would’ve been a big gain, so I wasn’t calling Mike out for anything other than his responsibility in the details of that play. I have a lot of love and respect for Mike. He’s done some nice things for us, but in that play, he wasn’t in the right spot.
“You can make more of that if you want to, but we should all be held to a standard. I hold myself to a standard of greatness, and it hasn’t been there at certain times.”
Williams played 32 snaps (51%) during Monday’s game against the Bills. The 30-year-old was listed on the injury report again Thursday as having not practiced for personal reasons. Although he was seen on Thursday on the field, Williams was on the field’s rehab side, reserved for injured players. Jets cornerback D.J. Reed (groin) was also in the same area, working with a trainer.
Williams was not in the Jets’ locker room on Thursday during media availability.
The Jets signed Williams in March to a one-year, $10 million contract that has a chance to be worth up to $15 million with incentives. Williams tore his ACL in Week 3 of last season when he was a member of the Chargers. However, the Jets still signed Williams, knowing it could take him a while to return to 100%.
Williams began training camp on the list of physically unable to perform, but he was activated on Aug. 7. The Jets kept Williams on a snap count to start the season, and he only played nine plays during the season-opening loss to the 49ers.
In six games this season, Williams has 10 catches for 145 yards. He was brought to the Jets because Williams is a big-body receiver at 6-4 who can catch contested passes in coverage. However, that hasn’t happened consistently as of yet.
With Williams still healing from his ACL injury, the Jets have continued to use him sparingly. After the acquisition of Adams, Williams’ role could be reduced even further.
Adding Adams to a Jets’ receiver corps that already has Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard would likely make Williams fourth on the depth chart. Adams and Lazard were teammates with the Packers for years and already have an extensive history working with Rodgers.
“Just tell Aaron to throw to the open guy that is the easy part,” Downing said about trying to make all the receivers happy in the Jets offense. “As a chef, you would want a bunch of ingredients, you wouldn’t want to stand in a kitchen and be looking for something in the cupboards, so it is a good problem to have that we have all of these really cool ingredients.
“I think you have to be intentional too about making sure guys understand where they fit in the plan because then they get ownership of it and they can get excited about certain plays, or they can get excited about their role and that is the challenge for a coaching staff, right. You have all these very talented weapons, now it is figuring out how you are going to make sure that everybody feels their piece of the pie.”
Downing also said Williams is “a pro,” and he is not concerned about him losing focus now that Adams is on the team.
“We use different personnel groupings and different ways to tag guys to get different combinations of receivers in there and that,” Downing said. “We have an accomplished wide receiver room right now.
“I hope everybody feels that there’s been some intentionality and purpose and how we’re putting the plan together.”
CONFIDENCE IN ZUERLEIN
Following Greg Zuerlein‘s two pivotal misses in their loss to the Bills, the Jets worked out former Browns kicker Cade York, former Giants and Commanders kicker Riley Patterson, and former Michigan State kicker Matt Coglin.
With the game against the Bills tied at 20-20, Zuerlein missed a 32-yard attempt that bounced off the upright. His 43-yard attempt in the fourth quarter with the game still tied also hit off the upright. The Bills eventually took the lead and won the game after Tyler Bass’ 22-yard field goal with 3:46 remaining.
During his two-plus seasons with the Jets, Zuerlein has been one of the better kickers in the league. In 2022, he converted 30-of-37 field goal attempts. In 2023, Zuerlein was even better in 2023 after making 35-of-38 field goals.
But this season, Zuerlein has missed 8-of-11 of his attempts through six games. In the 10-9 loss against the Broncos in Week 4, Zuerlein also missed a 50-yarder with 51 seconds left that would have potentially won the game for the Jets.
Despite his struggles, Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer says he still has the utmost confidence in Zuerlein. He also said the Jets brought in the three kickers for due diligence purposes.
“The more I’m around Greg since he’s been here, there’s not a guy that cares more,” Boyer said. “There’s not a guy that takes more pride in his job than that guy.
“He knows he has to make those kicks at the end of the day. It’s on us as a group, we gotta do more as a unit to come through in those times. To be honest with you, I have not lost faith in Greg at all. If you look through his track record and his career and when he has struggled a little early, he has always dug himself out of it.
“Last year, he missed a kick or two early and next thing you know he reels off 20-something in a row. He has always found a way to dig himself out of the rut he is in.”
INJURY REPORT
Rodgers (ankle) and Adams (hamstring) were full participants on Thursday, as both are expected to play against the Steelers. However, cornerbacks Reed (groin) and Michael Carter II (back) did not practice for the second straight day, and it is increasingly looking like both will miss Sunday’s game.
Tight end Tyler Conklin (hip), defensive end Will McDonald (shoulder), right tackle Morgan Moses (knee), and Tyron Smith (vet rest day) were all limited.
