English
Spanish
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Chinese (Simplified)
Hindi
Japanese
Jim Harbaugh’s practices are not for the weak.
Former Michigan standouts Jabrill Peppers and Jourdan Lewis can attest to that, and they jokingly hypothesized that Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams abruptly retired because he couldn’t stand another day of Harbaugh training camp.
“Mike Williams had one day of Harbaugh’s camp and said this is it,” Lewis, a Jaguars cornerback who played under Harbaugh at Michigan from 2015-16, joked on X Thursday, attaching a series of laughing emojis.
Peppers, a Patriots safety who also played for Harbaugh on the Wolverines from 2015-16, replied: “I said the same thing,” with several laughing emojis of his own.
The Chargers announced Williams’ retirement Thursday, and the news came as a “shock” to the organization, according to ESPN.
Williams, 30, played eight seasons in the NFL, the first seven of them with the Chargers.
Los Angeles cut Williams last offseason and he signed a one-year deal with the Jets worth up to $15 million, but the Clemson product was never able to develop chemistry with Aaron Rodgers.
He made just 12 receptions in nine games before getting shipped to the Steelers in a midseason trade.
He made nine catches for 132 yards and a touchdown with Pittsburgh, before signing a one-year deal with the Chargers this past offseason.
The Vance, S.C. native had been working to the side during Chargers offseason practices and workouts with an undisclosed injury, and the team placed him on the physically unable to perform list to start training camp, with general manager Joe Hortiz telling reporters Wednesday that he expected Williams back at camp quickly.
That did not come to fruition, and Los Angeles now has one less receiver on their depth chart.
Williams accumulated 4,806 yards, 309 receptions and 31 touchdowns in his first stint with the Chargers.
“When everything mattered the most, he was going to show up and that’s what I’ll remember most about him,” Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert told reporters Thursday. “It was an honor to play alongside him, to throw him the ball and definitely heartbreaking, tough news to hear about. But we got his back no matter what.”
