After clamoring for an upgrade as far as the wide receiver depth all season, Steelers fans finally have their No. 2 along side top threat George Pickens. Pittsburgh traded for Mike Williams on Tuesday, sending a 2025 fifth round pick to the New York Jets.
And while the move to add Williams was done with the intention of filling a void that’s been there since dealing Diontae Johnson in the offseason, it’s not the splash some fans were hoping for.
Following a brief flirtation, Brandon Aiyuk ended up staying with the 49ers, Davante Adams has reunited with Aaron Rodgers in New York, DeAndre Hopkins joined the Chiefs and Amari Cooper is now in Buffalo. They were each connected to the Steelers at one point, but those rumors turned out to just be a tease to fans.
Both Cooper Kupp and DK Metcalf stayed with the Rams and Seahawks, respectively, leaving the Steelers with Williams, a player fighting to get back to his past success. But just because Williams hasn’t achieved Pro Bowl status or made an impact in as many big games like the others mentioned, that doesn’t mean he can’t be exactly what the Steelers need.
Before the trade, the 30-year-old Williams appeared in nine games for the struggling Jets after spending the previous seven years with the Los Angeles Chargers. So far in 2024, Williams has caught 12 balls for 166 yards. He has 321 receptions for 4,972 yards and 31 touchdowns overall in his career.
Williams never found chemistry with Rodgers, but he was also recovering from a knee injury that cut his 2023 season short. Rodgers even complimented Williams’ progress when he reacted to the news of the trade live during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
“I felt like he was getting better throughout the early part of the season. It felt like his speed was getting better and he was getting more comfortable with it,” said Rodgers.
The Steelers’ plan for Williams is to place him on the opposite side of the field opposite Pickens and provide quarterback Russell Wilson a solid option if Pickens is dealing with double coverage. Even though Calvin Austin III has had his moments and tight end Pat Freiermuth is a skilled pass catcher, the offense has been noticeably missing a true No. 2 receiver.
Veteran Steelers reporter and writer for Steelers.com Dale Lolley articulated what Pittsburgh hopes Williams offers the offense.
“With the Steelers, Williams gives the team another outside-the-numbers receiver to pair with budding star George Pickens who can challenge defenses down the field.
Though he was slowed early in this season while coming back from the knee injury, he’s now more than a full year removed from the issue and should be ready to ramp himself back up into a bigger role.”
If everything goes as planned and Williams can be anything close to the player who surpassed 1,000 yards twice with Los Angeles, the Steelers’ offense should become explosive enough to make them a true Super Bowl contender.
Pittsburgh currently sits at 6-2 as Williams’ debut awaits in a road game against the 7-2 Washington Commanders on Sunday.
