Mike Williams probably won’t be ready for start of training camp, Jets hopeful for start of season, says Joe Douglas

New Jets wide receiver Mike Williams still has a ways to go in his recovery from his ACL injury last season. “A long way to go,” as head coach Robert Saleh put it.

That road will last until at least past the start of training camp. Speaking at the Annual League Meeting Monday in Orlando, Jets general manager Joe Douglas said Williams probably won’t be ready for the start of training camp but that the team is hopeful he will be ready for the start of the regular season.

Saleh compared Williams’ timeline to that of running back Breece Hall when he had his ACL recovery last offseason. Hall was limited throughout the preseason and early in the regular season before the Jets started letting him loose about a month into the season.

The Jets structured Williams’ contract in a way that protects them if Williams can’t play but gives Williams plenty of opportunities to make more money by being available and producing for the team. His base value for the contract is $10 million with another $5 million available via incentives.

Not having Williams at the outset of training camp stings a bit for the Jets, but they were likely aware of this anyway when they signed him. They just need him to produce during the season and help take pressure off of Garrett Wilson.