Steelers make underwhelming deadline trade for Jets WR Mike Williams

The Pittsburgh Steelers landed a wide receiver hours before the clock set on the 2024 NFL trade deadline... just not the receiver fans were hoping for.

After the long-anticipated wait, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter reported the Steelers are sending a fifth-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for WR Mike Williams.

This is not the move we were hoping for.

Williams, the fourth wide receiver on a bad New York Jets team this year, was having a poor 2024 season prior to being shipped to Pittsburgh in the waning hours of the trade deadline. Through the first nine games of the season, Williams reeled in just 12 catches on 21 targets for 166 yards and failed to catch a touchdown.

Steelers made a mistake trading for Mike Williams

I understand why Pittsburgh wanted to make a move to bolster their roster before the NFL trade deadline, but it's easy to see that Mike Williams was not the answer this team needed. Much like Allen Robinson II, who was on the Steelers' roster last year, Williams was once a good WR who has been zapped of all explosion.

The veteran wide-out suffered a season-ending ACL injury in 2023 after playing just three games. This year, Williams is catching just 57.1 percent of targets and has a 43.1 passer rating when Aaron Rodgers looked his way in the first nine games of the season.

While Robison has size, soft hands, and ball skills on his size, he lacks the ability to create separation at the top of his routes. It's fair to assume that Williams will offer a slight upgrade over Van Jefferson as an outside receiver for Pittsburgh, but the difference between the two wasn't worth giving up a fifth-round pick.

Williams is good by name recognition only. The 30-year-old no longer has what it takes to be a starting wide receiver in this league. The Steelers were desperate to make something happen before the NFL trade deadline and were content picking up the scraps from bottom-dwelling teams.