Try as they may, the Pittsburgh Steelers just can't seem to land a high-profile wide receiver via trade. After their deal on the table for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk fell through before the start of the season, Omar Khan tried getting into the Davante Adams sweepstakes before he was snatched by the New York Jets.
Now the Steelers have officially reached desperation mode.
With the needle-moving receivers no longer in play, Khan and the front office are looking for NFL has--beens who could still be improvements over what they have opposite George Pickens on their offense. The latest report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic suggests the Steelers are one of several teams reaching out to the Jets about the availability of Mike Williams.
The other teams mentioned were the Saints and Chargers, but Russini believes more teams are in the mix.
Williams has been a steady and reliable receiver throughout his career -- routinely using his 6'4'' frame to box out defenders and win down the field. But does the veteran have anything left in the tank?
Steelers would be wise to avoid a Mike Williams trade
There's very little question that adding Mike Williams to the Steelers' roster would be an improvement over the incredibly underwhelming Van Jefferson (who has just 62 receiving yards through six games). But that doesn't mean Pittsburgh should pull the trigger on a trade for the veteran.
While Williams has had an excellent NFL career that includes nearly 5,000 receiving yards to go with 31 touchdowns, his best days are well behind him. The reason for this is noticeable on the film: Williams doesn't have the juice to be threatening.
Speed was never Williams' forte, but now that he's 30 years old, it's evident that the explosion he once had is now a distant memory. In 2023, Williams played just three games before suffering a season-ending injury. This year, Aaron Rodgers couldn't find a way to make it work with the Williams -- despite the receiver's impressive body of work.
Through the first six games of the 2024 season, Williams is averaging just 1.9 yards after the catch per reception. This is paired with the inability to create separation at the top of his routes. As a result, Rogers had a dismal 47.1 passer rating when looking his way entering Week 7.
Adding Williams to the Steelers' roster would add more redundancy -- a much lesser version of George Pickens and a player (like Van Jefferson) who can't space between himself and the cornerback. At this stage of his career, Williams isn't far off from what Pittsburgh had in Allen Robinson II last season -- a big-bodied receiver who still has good hands, but lacks explosion and ability after the catch.
There's no question Pittsburgh needs wide receiver help, but they wouldn't find the answer they are looking for in a desperation trade like this. The Steelers would be wise to let some other team trade for the washed-up veteran receiver and look elsewhere for help.