COSTA MESA, Calif. _ Mike Williams was "limited" in Friday's practice and listed as "questionable" on the injury report, but in the mind of the Chargers receiver, he will make his long-awaited NFL debut Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.
"I'm just excited to get out there with my teammates for the first time," said Williams, who has been out since early May because of a herniated disc in his lower back. "It's gonna be a fun experience."
Coach Anthony Lynn said the Chargers would probably decide by Friday night whether the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Williams, the seventh overall pick in last April's draft, would play in a game for the first time since Jan. 9, when Williams helped Clemson beat Alabama for the national championship.
"We'll look at this film and do what's best for Mike and the team," Lynn said after Friday's practice. "Mike hasn't played since January, so we have to be careful rushing him back into action."
Williams, who missed all of training camp, participated in his first fully padded practice Thursday.
"He didn't really get hit, but we made sure he got banged around a little bit," Lynn said. "I like the way he responded. Mike is a competitor."
Returning from a serious injury doesn't faze Williams, who suffered a neck fracture in Clemson's first game of 2015, missed the rest of the season and caught nine passes for 174 yards in a season-opening win over Auburn in 2016.
"I feel like I'm all healed," Williams said, "so I just have to go out there and play like I never had a problem with my back."
