WR Mike Williams key addition for win-now Jets, Aaron Rodgers

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Someplace in Malibu, California — or wherever he is hanging out this week — New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is smiling.

His bosses again in New Jersey, in a span of 9 days, have bolstered his supporting forged in an all-out, pedal-to-the-metal effort so as to add a companion to the Tremendous Bowl III trophy that — in Rodgers’ phrases — is “trying somewhat lonely” within the group showcase.

The most recent addition got here Tuesday with the information that former Los Angeles Chargers vast receiver Mike Williams had signed a one-year contract that may very well be price as much as $15 million.

Rodgers is 40 years outdated, so there is not any such factor as constructing for the longer term. Common supervisor Joe Douglas, placed on alert not too long ago by proprietor Woody Johnson, is filling holes with big-name gamers whose free agent markets had been depressed due to sturdiness issues.

That is how he landed eight-time Professional Bowl left deal with Tyron Smith, 33, who signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract (with one other $13.5 million out there in incentives) Friday. That is how he bought Williams, 29, who underwent ACL surgical procedure solely six months in the past and certainly has a ton of playing-time incentives in his deal.

The hope is that Williams and Smith can overcome age and harm to be what they’ve been, teaming with a presumably wholesome Rodgers to make final season’s nightmare fade away. The Jets, who bought solely 4 performs out of Rodgers earlier than his left Achilles gave out, completed twenty ninth in scoring and thirty first in yards final season.

Their offensive plan consisted primarily of a backup quarterback (decide one, anybody) forcing passes to vast receiver Garrett Wilson or throwing checkdowns to working again Breece Corridor. They wanted one other weapon to alleviate strain on Wilson. That led them to Williams, whose dimension (6-foot-4) and talent to win contested balls needs to be a pleasant complement to the speedy and slippery Wilson.

“So far as the receiver room, we have got some nice younger guys and we have got some nice vets,” Wilson stated after the season. “However I feel one other infusion of somebody that introduced a distinct factor to the desk that provides the protection one thing to fret about, it could be helpful to everybody, not simply me.”

Wilson was being diplomatic. In actuality, the receiver room was stuffed with query marks, none greater than Allen Lazard, who landed on the bench after signing a four-year, $44 million contract in free company. Due to that mistake, Douglas needed to enterprise again into the marketplace for Williams.

“If wholesome, he is a starter, however extra of a No. 2,” an AFC personnel director stated. “It looks like a strong transfer for the Jets — if he is wholesome.”

Williams missed 18 video games over the previous two seasons, together with the Chargers’ playoff loss in 2022. His numbers had been common in 2022 (63 catches, 895 yards and 4 touchdowns). He hasn’t been an impression participant since 2021, when he posted profession highs in catches (76) and receiving yards (1,146).

It is a stretch to assume he can recapture that degree after three years and surgical procedure, however the Jets do not want him to be the star of the present. They’ve Wilson and Corridor to deal with that. They simply want him to be a complementary participant, somebody Rodgers can rely on.

Based mostly on previous efficiency, it needs to be a productive union. Since 2018, his second yr, Williams leads the NFL with a mean of 15.8 yards per reception, based mostly on a minimal of 200 catches. From 2018 to 2022, Rodgers led the league with 6,387 passing yards when focusing on vertical routes, in line with Subsequent Gen Stats.

With Wilson and Williams on the skin, and with the dual-threat Corridor within the backfield, the Jets can assault all areas of the sphere. The final time they fielded two receivers with résumés that included 1,000-yard seasons was 2016, with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. They’ve a strong tight finish in Tyler Conklin, however they may add firepower to that place by drafting somebody like Georgia’s Brock Bowers with the tenth general decide, which ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper projected them to do in his newest mock draft Tuesday.

Out of the blue, Douglas has loads of flexibility with that decide. By signing Williams and including Smith, proper deal with Morgan Moses and left guard John Simpson, Douglas addressed probably the most urgent wants on offense. Now he can sit again and take one of the best participant, whether or not it is Bowers or one other deal with or a receiver if one of many huge three prospects slips — Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze.

Backside line: Rodgers’ supporting forged is best than it was a yr in the past. It is an older group, with loads of one-year contracts (and accidents), however there’s just one yr that issues for the win-now Jets.