The NFL trading deadline arrived and as expected Omar Khan moved. Everyone expected his first move, but no one saw the second coming.
As had been rumored for weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for Mike Williams of the New York Jets, sending their 5th round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft in exchange. However, they also traded for Preston Smith, and outside linebacker from the Packers, sending Green Bay a 7th round pick from 2025.
Let’s take a look at the moves.
Mike Williams makes a catch against his future team. Photo Credit: AP via Tribune-Review
Steelers Finally Add to their Wide Receiver Room
Rumors of a big move at wide receiver have been pending in Pittsburgh since the Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for Donte Jackson. The move never materialized, although the Steelers did come close to a deal for Brandon Aiyuk.
The Steelers were also interested in several other wide receivers, some of whom got traded to other teams, others got injured.
But for weeks Mike Williams has been the center of speculation, with reports that the Steelers were in active negotiations with the Jets that got put on hold before the Jets Sunday Night game against the Steelers.
Mike Williams stands at 6-foot-4, and weighs 218 pounds and his resume includes a tandem of 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and ’21, and has authored 13 100-yard games since being drafted as the 7th overall pick for the then San Diego Chargers in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Although Williams logged 309 catches for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns with the Chargers, they let him go in free agency. The Steelers showed interest, but he opted to ink a one-year, $10 million contract with the Jets.
However, he is coming off of a torn ACL suffered in he 3rd week of in 2023 and he only managed to snag 12 catches for 166 yards from the Jets, which includes one catch on two targets for 15 yards during the Jets in a 37-15 loss to the Steelers.
In four career games against the Steelers, Mike Williams has 14 catches for 236 yards and one touchdown and is 2-2 against his new team.
Is Williams Worth the Price?
If a 5th round pick for a 9-game rental for a player that has just 12 catches sounds like a high price to pay for a wide receiver, that’s because it is.
- But the cost was likely necessary.
George Pickens is playing well, and with Russell Wilson at quarterback, Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin have seen their roles in the offense increase. But no one should be fool: The Steelers are and have been an injury to George Pickens away from lining up Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and Connor Heyward in the Wishbone.
Now Mike Williams may not be “starter capable” at this point in his career/recovery, but with rookie Payton Wilson on injured reserve, the Steelers can’t realistically find help at wide receiver elsewhere.
Williams does give Wilson another target who is good at catching 50/50 balls, and that should help loosen up the offense for the other wide outs as well as Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington.
Preston Smith Unexpected, but Welcome
The Steelers decision to bring in an additional outside linebacker might strike you as a surprise, but perhaps it shouldn’t. If memory serves, it was late in the game vs the Giants, perhaps before he authored his game-sealing strip sack, cameras panned to show a obviously winded T.J. Watt on the sidelines.
Anyone who knows Watt understand that he would not be out at such a critical moment if he didn’t need to be. Watt has played over 91% of the snaps, in large part because both Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig have been injured for much of the year.
With DeMarvin Leal out, the Steelers were forced to start 5th string outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon in their absence.
While Highsmith returned to great effect against New York and Herbig is expected back this week, the Steelers are adding depth at a critical position and hopefully bringing in a player who can help T.J. Watt pace himself.
Preston Smith brings a resume with 138 career starts for both Washington and Green Bay to Pittsburgh, and he started every game in eight of his 10 seasons. Smith actually started all nine games for the Packers in 2024 and has recorded 2 1/2 sacks, landed four quarterback hits and made 19 tackles, including two tackles for losses.
To make room for the additions, the Steelers waived tight end and special teams standout Rodney Williams.
