The LA Chargers lost one of their X receivers on Thursday when Mike Williams announced his sudden retirement from the NFL. That was enough to push the Chargers over the edge and make sure they got their other X receiver, Tre Harris, in the building.
After what might go down as the shortest training camp holdout of all time (one day), Harris has agreed to sign his rookie contract with the Chargers. He will presumably be at practice before the end of the week to work out with the team.
This is the positive news Chargers fans needed after the Williams shocker. With Harris now signed, the second-round wideout can get the reps he and the team needs as the primary X receiver on the roster.
Chargers sign Tre Harris shortly after Mike Williams retires
This was something that simply had to get done and it's a great thing that the Chargers prioritized it. This short holdout should have never happened in the first place and it was even more pressing to get a deal done after the shocking Williams news.
Harris' holdout was part of a bigger situation in the NFL. Second-round picks were rightfully asking for more guaranteed money after the Houston Texans gave Jayden Higgins the first fully guaranteed contract for a second-round pick.
The Chargers were always going to sign Harris; the delay was simply Dean Spanos' attempt to hold the line for his fellow owners. However, with Williams out of the equation, the Chargers couldn't afford the football sacrifice of holding that line.
Harris will now practice with the team and figure out his place in the offense. He is the only reliable X receiver on the team and the Chargers need to find out just how impactful he can be in his rookie season. If there are concerns over a slow start, the Chargers will be forced to turn to free agency or the trade market to add more depth.
The Chargers needed answers about Harris and his impact level as a rookie and they were never going to get that with him holding out. Now, the team will get the answers they need to have a successful 2025 campaign.
It's still unfortunate that it took a stunning retirement to expedite the deal, but at least the Chargers did right by Tre Harris in the end.