The first time Tyrell Williams played this season, he played nine snaps, all on special teams, running down kickoffs and punts in coverage.

This second time, he has the chance to flash his ability on offense.

Wide receiver Malcom Floyd believes in it.

“He’s sort of a mirror image of me but younger and fresher,” Floyd, 34, said. “He’s a speedster. He’s out there, running 21 miles per hour. ... I think he’s going to be better (than me). He’s got a head start. He’s healthy. He’s durable. We might have the same stats or not, a 40-plus inch vertical, 4.4 speed, but I think there’s a tremendous upside with him compared to me. He has a head start. He didn’t get hampered by any early injuries or anything like that.”


The Chargers promoted Williams from their practice squad. He’ll be one of four wide receivers active Sunday against the Chiefs; Stevie Johnson, Dontrelle Inman and Javontee Herndon are the others. Herndon and Williams are playing their second career game. They have a 12-yard catch between them.

Williams has yet to play a regular-season offensive snap.

That figures to change Sunday.

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The team is in in its second game without Keenan Allen, who’s out for the season with a lacerated kidney. Floyd will miss at least this game with a torn labrum. Along with the offense being down its top two wide receivers, tight ends Antonio Gates (knee/hip) and Ladarius Green (ankle) are working back from injury. This is as good a time as any for the 6-foot-4 rookie from Western Oregon to join the mix.

In 2004, at around this time, it was Floyd making his debut as an undrafted rookie.

Months earlier, he suffered a setback in training camp, suffering a broken collarbone during a practice in Carson. So began a 12-year career that has seen Floyd average 17.3 yards per reception, fourth-most in franchise history behind Lance Alworth, Gary Garrison and Vincent Jackson.

Floyd is a humble, gracious teammate. To predict Williams will be better than him is high praise and probably unfair to both men. But that is how Floyd feels. He repeated the sentiment when given the chance, citing an offseason that saw Williams turn heads.


The 23-year-old punctuated his preseason with a 63-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown against the 49ers. He notably had three drops earlier.

“I think he can be better,” Floyd said. “The plays he made during the preseason? I never made a play like that, just catch a 5-yard pass and taking it to the house. That’s hard to do, to just outrun the whole defense. I didn’t have a training camp like his.”

“That’s just Malcom,” Williams said. “It feels awesome for him to say that. He’s told me that before, and I kind of just brushed it off. ... It’s definitely big praise. Hopefully, I can come in and do as much as I can to replace him for a few games if it is so. I’m just trying to do whatever the coaches ask me to do — deep threat, short balls, anything like that. I’m just trying to do whatever I can.”

Tight end Sean McGrath was waived to create space for Williams on the roster.