The Los Angeles Chargers will not have star wide receiver Mike Williams for Saturday’s playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, officially ruling him out for the game with a back injury. He will not even make the trip to Jacksonville.
This is not only bad news for the Chargers offense, but it is a terrible look for head coach Brandon Staley.
Williams was injured during the Chargers’ Week 18 loss to the Denver Broncos as Staley continued to play all of his starters even though the team had nothing to play for. Their playoff spot as the No. 5 seed in the AFC was already locked in place, with no chance of moving up or down the playoff field. They knew which team they were playing and where they were going.
Most teams in that situation sit as many key players as they can to avoid injury.
Staley did not do that, keeping players like Williams, Joey Bosa and star quarterback Justin Herbert in the game until the very end when it became obvious they were not going to win.
It was an extremely costly decision as Williams and Bosa both left the game with injuries. Even after watching those two stars leave the game, Staley still kept Herbert and Keenan Allen in the game. It was all baffling to watch, even more so after the fact when we know the extent of the injury to Williams.
