Mike Williams, Chargers, Targeting October Return from Back Injury

The Los Angeles Chargers are hoping to have receiver Mike Williams on the field by October, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft has been rehabbing from a herniated disk suffered in the spring. The team chose not to utilize surgery to fix the issue, which could allow the rookie to return to the field before too long.

While he was initially ruled out of training camp with the possibility he would miss the entire 2017 season, he returned to the field last week for non-contact workouts.

"He's back on the grass," head coach Anthony Lynn said last Monday, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. "He's running. He's doing well."

As Rapoport noted, the current plan is to get him into full practices in September for him to play games in October. If he is not placed on the physically unable to perform list, he could potentially return before Week 7.

Williams is coming off a dominant year at Clemson, totaling 98 catches for 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns while helping the Tigers bring home a national championship. The Chargers drafted the 6'4" wideout in an effort to upgrade a receiving corps that has dealt with injuries and inconsistency over the past few years.

The team still has Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams among others ready to play until Mike Williams returns, but the coaching staff will certainly want to see its young player back to full strength as soon as possible.