Mike Williams might need season-ending back surgery

(ESPN) – The Los Angeles Chargers are still hoping to avoid it, but first-round pick Mike Williams might need back surgery on his herniated disk that would end his rookie season, league sources tell ESPN.

Williams recently received a second epidural on his herniated disk in a last-ditch effort to have him ready at some time during training camp, though the Chargers are preparing as if he will not be ready by that time, per sources.

The team still is hoping that Williams will respond positively to the second epidural but also knows there’s a real chance he will not and his rookie year will be over before it begins.

“This may be a lot more serious than people thought,” said one source familiar with the injury.

Williams was diagnosed with a herniated disk after his first practice during rookie minicamp and did not practice again. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters in the spring that he hoped Williams’ back would quiet down enough with rest and he could be ready for training camp. Williams has experienced some positive results from the second epidural, but there still are concerns and uncertainty about how his back will respond this summer.

The Chargers remain uncertain about when Williams initially injured his back, but one source said it’s possible it was injured at the combine and during his pro day, but he did a good enough job masking it so that teams would not know and his draft stock would not be affected.

The Chargers picked Williams with the seventh overall pick, and he showed up in Los Angeles with a bad back.