Steelers trade deadline acquisitions already pay dividends in Pittsburgh debut

When the Pittsburgh Steelers unloaded Day 3 draft capital for a pair of aging veterans at the 2024 NFL trade deadline, many fans were skeptical of their decision. Mike Williams and Preston Smith were essentially half-year rentals and both players are in their 30s.

The trade for Williams, in particular, was a controversial move. While every Steelers fan could admit that this team needed help at wide receiver, the veteran was buried on the depth chart on a bad NY Jets team and was incredibly inefficient when targeted by Aaron Rodgers this year. Giving up a fifth-round pick for a declining veteran seemed rich.

But all of those concerns went out the window in Week 10.

Coming off a much-needed bye, a banged-up Steelers squad traveled to Washington to take on the 7-2 Commanders. Pittsburgh was underdogs in this contest for one of their first big tests of the season, but they found a way to escape Week 10 with a win.

After watching the game, it's hard to believe the Steelers would have emerged victorious without the help of their two trade deadline acquisitions.

Steelers' trades payed for themselves already

Neither Williams nor edge rusher Preston Smith was expected to be heavily involved in their debuts. Both players found a new home in Pittsburgh just hours before the trade deadline and neither player will see a bye week this year. While we expected them to play minimal roles in their debut contest with Pittsburgh, both Smith and Williams showed up in pivotal moments of the game.

With Nick Herbig sidelined in Week 10, Smith found himself working as the third edge rusher in his first game with the Steelers, and late in the game, Alex Highsmith went down with an ankle injury. Smith rose to the occasion.

The 31-year-old pass rusher logged a sack and two tackles for a loss on 23 snaps in a backup role. Smith also came up with a huge third-down stop late in the game while showing his veteran feel for the game to prevent allowing a cut-back lane for the ball carrier.

Williams, meanwhile, logged just nine snaps in this contest. When Calvin Austin III left the field and was forced to enter concussion protocol, Williams made the play of the game when he hauled in a 32-yard touchdown on a tough over-the-shoulder catch on third-and-nine with just 2:22 remaining in the game. This gave Pittsburgh the go-ahead score that ultimately sealed the game.

Williams and Smith are no longer in the primes of their careers, but when you add a pair of players who have been quality starters for a decade in the NFL, you can expect big things. The Pittsburgh Steelers know they are in a Super Bowl window, and the front office's decisions at the NFL trade deadline have already paid for themselves.