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Report: Mike Williams may need season-ending back surgery

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NFL rookie camps are too intense and risky for players who haven't played football in months, says Mike Florio.

Chargers first-round pick Mike Williams didn’t take as long to sign as defensive end Joey Bosa did last year, but the wide receiver may not have a chance to make the same kind of impact that Bosa did when he finally agreed to a contract.

Williams missed almost all of the team’s offseason work because of a back injury suffered at rookie minicamp and a report on Wednesday casts serious doubt on his chances of getting back on the field anytime soon.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Williams may need to have surgery on a herniated disk in his back. Doing so would keep Williams from playing at all in 2017.

Williams recently had a second epidural injection in what Schefter describes as a “last-ditch effort” to get Williams ready to go at some point in training camp. Per the report, the team is hopeful that Williams will continue to respond well to the injection but is “preparing as if he will not be ready by that time.”

Wide receivers Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams and Dontrelle Inman also missed time this spring because of injuries, although there’s no sign that any similar concerns about availability for the coming season exist for that trio.