Steelers May See A Long-Term Advantage From Trade For Mike Williams

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in pursuit of help at the wide receiver position since the start of training camp. They were deep in negotiations to land Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers, and then tried to land Davante Adams once the season began from the Las Vegas Raiders. Aiyuk ended up staying put, and Adams wound up going to the New York Jets, which would actually help the Steelers further down the road. 

Pittsburgh's General Manager Omar Khan finally made a move on Tuesday just hours before the NFL's trade deadline. He landed wide receiver Mike Williams from the Jets in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Williams has been mentioned in trade conversations ever since New York acquired Adams, and a trade has finally come to fruition for Pittsburgh after months of trying to find help at wide receiver.

Williams should be considered a one-year rental. His contract expires at the end of the 2024 season, and the Jets are responsible for a good chunk of dead cap while the Steelers will owe Williams under $700,000 in 2024.

This trade comes with very little financial commitment from the Steelers, although the fifth-round pick is considered a little rich by some. 

It's important to remember that Williams should be considered a rental. After the 2024 season ends, he could go anywhere else he wants to once he hits free agency. However, if he has a great second half of the season, Pittsburgh could consider offering him a new contract. He has struggled throughout the 2024 season while in New York, but that is to be expected when you consider all of the dysfunction that has surrounded that organization.

If Williams does leave in free agency and the Steelers don't sign someone that is considered a replacement by the NFL, his departure would be considered by the league when giving out compensatory draft picks. Teams are awarded compensatory draft picks when they lose more free agents than they sign, or when a team gets significantly worse through free agency.

Some teams consider compensatory picks more than others when it comes to building their roster, and the Steelers aren't usually one of those teams. They will try to build the best roster possible, and if that means they lose out on compensatory draft picks, so be it. The organization hasn't had a compensatory draft pick since the 2022 NFL Draft.

Steelers Hope To Get A Different Version Of Mike Williams

Williams had his best season in the NFL back in 2021 when he caught nine touchdowns and recorded over 1,100 receiving years. Pittsburgh likely isn't expecting that from the veteran, but the organization would certainly like to see some improvement from what they saw while he was in New York. He struggled while with the Jets, but he also missed a lot of their practices ahead of the season while he was recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered at the beginning of the 2023 season.

A change of scenery is likely what Williams needed, and the Steelers may benefit by getting a new and improved version of the receiver. However, even if it doesn't work out, it doesn't hurt the Steelers at all to let him walk in free agency during the 2025 offseason.

What do you think of the Steelers acquiring Williams? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation