The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent the last few months trying to trade for a wide receiver and finally did so on Tuesday.
With just hours before the nfl trade deadline, the Steelers were able to finalize a deal with the New York Jets for Mike Williams, CBS Sports nfl Insider Jonathan Jones reported. Steelers first called Jets about potential Williams trade more than three weeks agobut the two sides could not reach an agreement until Tuesday.
For the trade to happen, the Steelers will send a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Jets. According to ESPN, the Steelers will assume the remainder of Williams’ contract for this season. The veteran is a free agent in 2025.
“Mike had a bad injury last year, that ACL, and it’s tough to come back from, and he worked hard all offseason,” Aaron Rodgers said. reacting to trade on The Pat McAfee Show. “It’s a difficult injury, I had that injury and it’s the mental part that takes the longest. We knew that with the arrival of Davante there would be fewer targets for everyone… If this gives Mike more opportunities, that would be fantastic.”
The Steelers haven’t been too shy about the fact that they were looking for a receiver. During the low season, they tried to land Brandon Aiyuk, who ended up signing an extension to stay in San Francisco. Last month, the Steelers also participated in the Davante Adams sweepstakes, but came up short when Adams went to the Jets.
Adams going to New York likely helped the Steelers land Williams. With Adams and Garrett Wilson on the roster, Williams became expendable with the Jets. The 30-year-old receiver only caught 12 passes in nine games with New York this season, but averaged an impressive 13.8 yards per catch. Williams is also just two years away from a 2022 season with the Chargers, where he caught 63 passes for 865 yards. However, his numbers were way down in 2023 after his season was cut short due to an ACL injury.
Williams will now go from catching passes from Rodgers to catching passes from Russell Wilson. Williams will join a group of receivers that already includes George Pickens, Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson.
In fact, the Steelers were close to making a trade for Christian Kirk in late October, but the deal fell apart after the Jaguars receiver broke his collarbone in week 8. Williams may not have been Pittsburgh’s first option, but he should be able to contribute in Arthur Smith’s offense.
