Raiders' Tyrell Williams aims to end disappointing season on high note

ALAMEDA - The way it started, Tyrell Williams was sure he was en route to his best season.

The owner of a four-year, $44.3 million contract in free agency, the Raiders were counting on the fifth-year wide receiver to provide a downfield threat for Derek Carr. Williams' role increased when Antonio Brown imploded heading into the regular season, and in a Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos, he caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.

That was on Sept. 9. Going into Sunday's road game against his former team, the Los Angeles Chargers, Williams hasn't caught as many as six passes in a game or broken 100 yards receiving since the opener.

Plantar fasciitis on both feet cost Williams two games, and the condition has limited his practice time and dominated his free time as he tries to manage the pain.

With two games to play, Williams had 38 receptions for 569 yards and a team-high six touchdowns - with five of those coming in his first five games.

So when Williams turned upfield after catching a pass from Derek Carr against Jacksonville and saw nothing but green grass, he could be forgiven for high-stepping into the end zone as the Raiders took a 7-0 lead.

“It was a mistake. Shouldn't have done the high-step,” Williams said Thursday. “Felt a little sore after that. But it was nice to get back in there, get a little bit of positivity going. It felt good.”

Williams' aching feet may or may not have contributed to an even bigger problem for a wide receiver - his hands. Williams had a conspicuous drop on a third-and-11 pass for a potential first down with 1:55 left that could have closed out the game. Earlier this season in Houston, Williams couldn't reel in a pair of difficult chances that were costly in a 27-24 loss.

It's safe to say Williams' season wasn't what he or the Raiders had in mind.

“It didn't go obviously how I wanted, but I think in the end it's going to help my career, to get through an injury and a rough season personally with the drops and everything,” Williams said. “I'm going to make sure when I come in next season I won't have to deal with something like this. It's going to make me a stronger player, a better player. I'm looking to these last two games to put something out there to catapult me into next season.”

While not nearly as public as the foot issues Brown had during training camp, Williams' issue has been more long-term.

“It's been a real challenge. We've had a lot of foot problems around here this year,” Gruden said last Friday. “He's been dealing with it really since the second week of the season. He missed (two games), came back and hasn't really healed. He's managed it. We try to manage him in the practice field but give him credit, he's playing through pain and we thank him for that.”

Williams said confidence hasn't been an issue, but it's been a challenge to deal with the first significant injury of his career.

“There was a couple of weeks when I got down, because I had never missed a game, never missed anything, so it was tough,” Williams said. “I talked to other guys I'd played with throughout the league and family, for sure. Coach Gruden challenged me, told me to keep working. It helped that I have teammates and guys in the receivers room that have confidence in me.”

Renfrow ready to go

Having missed the last two games following a rib fracture, Hunter Renfrow had his first full-fledged practice after being cleared. He's been running full speed for more than a week, having sustained the injury on Nov. 24 in a 34-3 loss to the New York Jets.

The injury came just as Renfrow was beginning to become a clutch target for Carr and at the time he was hurt, he was second to Darren Waller with 36 receptions for 396 yards. In the two games Renfrow missed against Kansas City and Tennessee, the Raiders were 7 of 20 on third down conversions and 1-for-7 in the second halves of those games.

“I think we were starting to hit our stride a little bit, but the things we did during those games don't just go away,” Renfrow said.

Said Carr: “We were on the same page before he got injured. We had a really nice thing going. There's nothing like live reps, though, actually playing in games and getting that feel back. So we'll have to do that.”

Renfrow said the nature of the rib injury and where it was cracked necessitated the layoff and that he was never in great pain.

New kid in town

The Raiders signed linebacker Ukeme Eligwe off the practice squad of the New York Jets to fill the roster spot which opened up when right tackle Trent Brown was placed on injured reserve.

Eligwe (6-foot-2, 239 pounds) played on the practice squad of the Tennessee Titans before joining the Jets. He was a fifth-round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017 out of Georgia Southern, playing in 24 games in two seasons with one start. He also played for the New York Giants.

“He's real athletic. He can run,” defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said.

Medical report

Daryl Worley, who missed the Jaguars game with a neck injury, was limited at practice but is expected to face the Chargers, according to Guenther.

Those who didn't practice included left guard Richie Incognito (ankle), Gabe Jackson (knee) and linebacker Marquel Lee (toe). Renfrow, Worley, linebacker Kyle Wilber, cornerback Nevin Lawson (biceps) and safety Dallin Leavitt (elbow) were limited.