A broken back to Mike Williams will force the Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver out of Saturday’s wild-card playoff game, the team announced Friday.
The star pass-catcher is likely to be unavailable for the remainder of the postseason due to a non-surgical broken back, as he is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, according to an ESPN report.
The Chargers confirmed that Williams will stay in Los Angeles to continue his treatment.
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Los Angeles Chargers’ Mike Williams celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on September 15, 2022.
(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The sixth-year receiver missed all practices this week after injuring himself late in a Week 18 game against the Denver Broncos.
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley faced criticism for choosing to play many of the team’s starters and key players in the regular season finale because the game had no playoff implications for Los Angeles.
“These are not easy decisions,” Staley said, via ESPN. “They’re not easy decisions and hindsight is perfect for everyone out there, but these games aren’t easy to handle. They’re not, because you don’t have that many players and we did the best we could.” .”
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After last week’s game, an X-ray and MRI initially came back negative, and Williams was diagnosed with a bruised back. But he made no progress in the days that followed and he underwent an additional MRI.
The second MRI determined that Williams had a broken back.
Los Angeles Chargers’ Mike Williams is congratulated by teammates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter of a game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on December 11, 2022.
(Harry How/Getty Images)
Williams was the Chargers’ leading receiver in the 2022 regular season, despite only playing in 13 games. Quarterback Justin Herbert benefited from Williams’ great playability, as he averaged 7.7 yards per attempt with seven touchdowns when Williams was on the field this season.
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When Williams wasn’t available, the QB averaged 5.8 yards per attempt with no touchdowns. A high ankle sprain sidelined Williams for four games in 2022.
Wide receiver Joshua Palmer is expected to start in place of Williams. He is second on the team in receptions and yards.
The coaches help the Los Angeles Chargers’ Mike Williams off the field during the first half of a game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sunday.
(Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
This isn’t the first time Williams has had to work with a back problem in his professional soccer career. He was sidelined for five games of his rookie season with a back injury.
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The Chargers (10-7) ended a four-year playoff drought and are set to kick off against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday at 8:15 pm ET.