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NFL World Reacts to Mike Williams's Shocking Retirement Decision

The Chargers wide receiver is walking away from football at age 30.
Michael Kadlick|
Williams is hanging up his cleats at the young age of 30.
Williams is hanging up his cleats at the young age of 30. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams sent shockwaves through the NFL on Thursday afternoon when, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, it was announced that he plans to retire from football.

Williams, still just 30 years old, dealt with a surplus of injuries over the course of his eight-year career and hasn't played a full season since 2021. Selected by L.A. in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft, he spent his first seven years on the West Coast before two half-season stints with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.

Needless to say—regardless of his injury history—the NFL world was stunned by the news of Williams' early decision to hang up his cleats, especially after he had re-signed with the Chargers this offseason. Here's a look at some of the reactions to his decision that came in across X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday:

The Chargers now go into 2025 with one less target for Justin Herbert in the wide receiver room. He'll now have to rely on the likes of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and rookie Tre Harris.

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Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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