Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Tyrell Williams.
Prior to the start of the regular season, the Las Vegas Raiders got hit with some brutal news when they found out Tyrell Williams was going to have to miss the season with a shoulder injury. He was supposed to be the team’s number one receiver and is among the team’s highest-paid players. Williams has only been able to play in 14 games over two seasons with the Raiders and he was hurt for most of those 14 games.
The veteran wide receiver turned some heads early in the season when he decided to remove all Raiders content from his social media. That move led many to speculate that his days in Las Vegas were over. However, he recently appeared on Silver & Black Today and revealed that he changed his social media so that it could focus on social justice. He also made it clear that he would like to stay with the team.
“Of course I want to be with the team,” Williams said. “As long as they want me I’ll be there and ready to go.”
.@TyrellWilliams_: “Of course I want to be with the team. As long as they want me I’ll be there and ready to go.” Hear the full exclusive interview with the #Raiders WR: t.co/kbl0QER1EM
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Williams Wishes He Could Be Playing
There’s no doubt the Raiders would like to have Williams right now despite the emergence of Nelson Agholor. The team has had multiple wide receivers miss time with injury. Williams is frustrated with how the last two seasons have gone.
“It was very frustrating; it’s the first season I’ve ever missed in my life,” Williams said. “It’s definitely a weird feeling being out this year – last couple of years have been frustrating — but it’s been a good time to just get back into the shape I want to be in and get my body back to where I want it to be, so I’ve been using the time to make sure that next year I’m ready to go.”
Even with the Raiders essentially out of playoff contention, he still wishes he could play.
“I wish I could go out and play these last two games,” Williams said. “My shoulder’s been feeling great, pretty close to a full 100 percent, still probably got a couple more months to go, but I’m feeling really good.”
Will Raiders Bring Williams Back?
Williams’ tenure with the Raiders has been very disappointing. Antonio Brown and he were supposed to form a really strong wide receiver duo. The team never got to see Brown play and Williams hasn’t been healthy for more than a couple of games.
If he wasn’t getting paid so much money, the Raiders could consider bringing him back next year. He’s a talented player and did make some big plays for the team early last season. Unfortunately, he’s set to make over $11 million next season. That’s simply too much money for a guy who can’t stay on the field.
The Raiders won’t have any penalty if they cut him as they’ve already paid him his guarantees. If Williams wants to stay with the team, he’s going to have to accept a pay cut. It seems unlikely he’d be willing to do that. He’s probably played his last game as a Raider.
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