The Pittsburgh Steelers made the receiver trade that seemed to be the most likely option: acquiring Mike Williams from the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick. With the lack of receiver depth in Pittsburgh, Williams will be expected to at least take on a decent role in this offense. There are fair questions about how much he truly has left in the tank, but the Steelers will make sure that he gets plenty of chances to prove that he is still an effective receiver.
New York Jets
Mike Williams walks out of the tunnel at Acrisure Stadium before playing the Steelers in 2024.
During his live Q&A chat, Ray Fittipaldo was asked about the roles of the Steelers receivers now that Williams is in the picture. He explained the jobs of the current receivers, while also talking about how Steeler Nation may need to be patient with their new weapon.
"I wouldn't get caught up in where these receivers slot in. They'll all have roles. Van Jefferson has been coming on as of late and plays a lot of snaps because he blocks. The same goes for Calvin Austin, although now you might see a little more of Austin in the slot in certain personnel packages. And it will take a while for Williams to find his niche. He might not be productive right away, but he could be a weapon in a few weeks. Time will tell."
At the very least, the Steelers know that they got cheap depth for a minimal price. Will Williams' role change as he gets more comfortable in this new system? There are many avenues that the Steelers could take with him.
Getty Images
Jets' Mike Williams celebrates after a big first down.
With Williams' learning the offense, as well as some other notes from Fittipaldo, it sounds like he may begin his time in Pittsburgh as a backup. He mentions that the new receiver is not much of a blocker, which will hurt his snap count. The Steelers prefer to have blocking receivers on the field, which is why guys like Van Jefferson and Allen Robinson II got a lot of playing time and started every game for the Steelers, despite not being teammates in Pittsburgh.
Fittipaldo also brings up the fact that Williams is the same type of receiver as George Pickens. Of course, Pickens is easily the more talented receiver, and he is even a great blocker (when he's not acting live a diva). Williams may be the primary backup to Pickens for the foreseeable future.
Steelers Won't Let Williams Rot On The Bench
Despite the fact that Williams may not start immediately, the Steelers still want to utilize him in any way they can. They traded for him for a reason, and that reason was not to sub in for Pickens every now and then. That may be the case for the first few weeks, but that likely won't be the plan for the whole season.
ESPN
Steelers' George Pickens walks to the sideline during a home game in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers wanted to sign Williams when he was a free agent in the 2024 offseason. He instead chose to sign with the Jets on a one-year deal, and after the Jets traded for Davante Adams and threw their free agent signing under the bus, there didn't seem to be any possible way that he would stick around in East Rutherfurd. Hopefully for him, the breakfast sandwich was worth it.
The Steelers got the guy they wanted for months, so they will give him opportunities to thrive in their offense. Maybe he gets his first big chance in Week 13, but there is no doubt that the Steelers will try whatever it takes to add more explosiveness to their offense at some point in time.
With how Russell Wilson likes to unleash the deep ball, Williams will get plenty of targets, as the Steelers' passing game should work well with his strengths. His ability to stretch the field vertically only makes it harder on defenses to contain Pittsburgh's offense, as it can open up a lot more, especially with the run game and the quick passing game.
What do you think about Williams likely not playing a major factor in the offense for a few weeks? Let us know in the comments below.
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