Chargers' Mike Williams Added to PUP List with Injury amid Tre Harris Holdout

The Los Angeles Chargers have placed veteran receiver Mike Williams on the physically unable to perform list to begin training camp, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Chargers' veterans report on Wednesday, with the team holding its first practice on Thursday.

Williams, 30, was expected to compete for a starting spot alongside burgeoning star Ladd McConkey in the slot and Quentin Johnston. The Chargers also drafted Tre' Harris in the second round and KeAndre Lambert-Smith to compete for roles on the outside.

Depth is temporarily an issue at the position, however. Alongside Williams' situation, Harris is holding out, one of 30 second-round picks around the NFL who remain unsigned.

That league-wide stalemate has come down to Cleveland Browns' No. 33 overall pick Carson Schwesinger and Houston Texans' No. 34 overall pick Jayden Higgins signing fully-guaranteed deals. Generally, only first-round contracts have been fully guaranteed by teams (and even that has been a point of contention this offseason, with No. 17 pick Shemar Stewart remaining unsigned amidst a dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals over contract guarantees).

As for Williams, the 30-year-old spent his first seven seasons with the Chargers before being released by the team last offseason, a move that saved them $20 million against the cap.

He signed with the New York Jets but never vibed with Aaron Rodgers, registering just 12 catches for 166 yards in nine games. He was then traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers but didn't fare any better with Russell Wilson, posting nine catches for 132 yards and a touchdown in nine contests (yes, he played 18 regular-season games last year).

Whether Williams can rekindle the form that saw him post four straight seasons with over 750 receiving yards between 2019-22—and two 1,000-yard seasons in that time—remains to be seen. For now, however, he's unavailable as training camp in El Segundo begins.