The New York Jets struck again in NFL free agency Tuesday, agreeing with wide receiver Mike Williams on a one-year contract that could max out at $15 million. And that loud scream you heard coming from California is from Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who must be thrilled with this move.

It is the second major move made by the Jets in the past week to bolster the offense around their future Hall-of-Fame QB. New York previously signed former All-Pro Tyron Smith, a future Hall-of-Famer and the best left tackle on the market, to a one-year deal.

So, the Jets filled two major holes. They desperately needed a stud to protect Rodgers’ blind side and another to open up the passing game that had only one legit receiver, Garrett Wilson. Now the heavy lifting of free agency is done for New York, though they still have some minor roster holes to fill. Next up is the 2024 NFL Draft.

That said, let’s examine the Williams’ signing.

Grading Jets’ signing of Mike Williams in free agency

Mike Williams in Jets jersey. Aaron Rodgers with heart eyes

There’s a lot to love here. But there are some concerns, as well.

Starting with the positive, Williams is a massive edition to play opposite Wilson, who’s had consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin his NFL career without much help around him. Williams is a 6-foot-4, 218-pound deep threat who’s also adept over the middle. His 15.8 yards per catch average since 2018 is the NFL's highest for receivers with at least 200 catches.

Williams caught 10 TD passes in 2018 with the Chargers and has 31 in 88 career games. He had 76 catches in 2021 and 63 in 13 games the following season. Simply, he and Wilson can break defenses together, especially with Rodgers running the offense and Breece Hall softening up the D in the run game.

The other side of the coin is that Williams is coming off a torn ACL and has had other injury issues in recent seasons. He’s missed at least one game in each season of his career, except in 2018. And he’s been limited in some games he did play in, grinding through injuries to his back and hamstring, among others.

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Williams was off to a fast start in 2023 before he sustained his knee injury in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft had 19 catches on 25 targets the first three games of 2023, including seven for 121 yards against the Vikings.

Will he be as explosive post-surgery? How much will the Jets need to monitor his snap counts? What restrictions remain for the offseason and training camp as he adjusts to a new quarterback—albeit a legendary one—and team?

There’s no way to know the answers at this point. But credit the Jets for aggressively signing a star receiver and going for it with Rodgers and company. Williams' contract reportedly maxes out at $15 million, but it’s not known what the salary cap hit is nor the guaranteed dollars. Still, it’s a smart one-year play for the Jets. Good on them to get it done.

This grade would’ve been an A if not for the injury issues. But it’s still a solid grade at this point, with the chance that the final grade will be much higher.

Grade: B+