NY Jets might not trade Mike Williams after key wide receiver injury

NY Jets wide receiver Mike Williams has found himself the subject of trade rumors ever since his team acquired Davante Adams earlier this month. The Jets haven't traded Williams to this point, but the expectation has been that he will be moved eventually.

But a recent development to the team's wide receiver room could alter their plans.

The Jets placed wide receiver Allen Lazard on the injured reserve with a chest injury prior to Thursday night's game against the Houston Texans. Lazard will miss a minimum of four weeks and will not be eligible to return from IR until after the Jets' bye week in December.

Lazard's absence could leave the Jets dangerously thin at wide receiver if they were to trade Williams. Without Lazard and Williams, Xavier Gipson would once again be the team's WR3 with Irv Charles and rookie Malachi Corley behind him.

If the Jets still have any hope of making a late-season playoff push, keeping Williams is probably their best option.

The NY Jets might not trade Mike Williams

The Jets signed Williams to a one-year, $10 million contract this offseason with the belief that he would provide the team with a quality WR2 opposite Garrett Wilson. Instead, he's hauled in just 11 catches for 160 yards in eight games.

Williams has publicly struggled to get on the same page with Aaron Rodgers, with his quarterback even calling him out in a postgame press conference. That lack of chemistry hasn't helped his production.

The Adams trade also relegated Williams to the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart and seemingly solidified his status as a luxury trade chip. The Lazard injury throws a wrench into those plans.

If the Jets manage to upset the Texans tonight and improve to 3-6, owner Woody Johnson might be convinced that the team could go on a run and salvage their season. It wouldn't make sense to trade Williams with that mindset.

Despite his meager box-score numbers, Williams has still proven to be an effective jump-ball receiver and adds an element to the Jets' offense that no other receiver can provide. He's a valuable player and could prove useful to a contending team.

Now, if the Jets embarrass themselves in primetime again and fall to 2-7, the organization might simply opt to call it quits in the 2024 season and sell any short-term assets. Williams would fit that bill.

But if the Jets want the extra wide receiver depth and still haven't punted on 2024, keeping Williams now makes a lot more sense. The Lazad injury may have changed the Jets' plans regarding their wide receiver room.

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