| Advertisement |
Sept. 1 (UPI) -- The Las Vegas Raiders have placed veteran wide receiver Tyrell Williams on season-ending injured reserve. The team announced the roster move Tuesday, one week after reports said Williams would attempt to play through a torn shoulder labrum after rehabbing the injury for a few weeks. League sources told ESPN and NFL Media that he will now have surgery later this month and will be sidelined for about six months.
Advertisement
Williams, 28, was expected to start alongside first-round draft pick Henry Ruggs III this season, with Hunter Renfrow serving as the Raiders' slot receiver. With Williams out, Las Vegas could potentially start two rookies at the position in Ruggs and third-round selection Bryan Edwards.
It would mark only the second time in Raiders history that two rookies would start at receiver. The franchise also did it in 2009 with the duo of Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy.
The Raiders also signed former Philadelphia Eagles wideout Nelson Agholor in free agency and have Zay Jones, Rico Hines, Marcell Ateman and Keelan Doss on their roster.
Las Vegas signed Williams to a four-year, $44 million contract in March 2019. He got off to a hot start last season with touchdown receptions in each of his first five games, but plantar fasciitis slowed him later in the year.
Williams missed two games because of the issue and finished with only 42 catches and 651 receiving yards in 2019 -- his lowest yardage total since his rookie season in 2015.
In 69 career games with the Chargers and Raiders, Williams has recorded 197 receptions for 3,181 yards and 23 touchdowns. His best NFL season came in 2016, when he had 69 grabs for 1,059 yards and seven receiving scores.
