With the news on Tuesday that Tyrell Williams is headed to injured reserve with a shoulder injury (torn labrum), the overwhelming odds are that he has played his last game in a Raiders uniform.
Williams was signed last year to be a complement to Antonio Brown, but history won’t look back at either signing as a success for the Raiders – albeit for much different reasons.
After starting the 2019 season with a touchdown in each of his first five games, Williams battled a foot injury (plantar fasciitis) and unreliable hands for the rest of the season. There was some suspicion that the Raiders might bail on his contract after one year (they could have cut ties in February with no dead money), but a weak class of free agent wide receivers probably caused Jon Gruden to balk at the idea.
Williams, despite his injury, will still count $11.1 million against the Raiders salary cap this year and is slated to have a cap number of $11.6 million next year. Once again, the Raiders can release Williams without the consequence of dead money after the season. Now that Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards are on the roster, it would take a catastrophic 2020 season for the Raiders to consider writing another check to Williams.
When the dust settles on his two years with the Raiders, Williams’ stat line will read 42 receptions for 651 yards and six touchdowns… in exchange for just over $21 million.
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