Whether you agree with the decision to trade for a 30-year-old wide receiver having a bad season, nobody can fault the Pittsburgh Steelers for their aggressiveness at the NFL trade deadline. The additions of Williams and pass rusher Preston Smith add depth and veteran leadership to a team looking to make a push in 2024.
The Williams trade is particularly intriguing. Pittsburgh clearly had their sights set on landing a wide receiver before the deadline, and the veteran was one of the last remaining options up for grabs.
Though this isn't the needle-moving blockbuster WR trade fans hoped for, Williams is going to slide into a starting role in Pittsburgh. This is great for some within the organization, but discouraging for others. Here are the Steelers' biggest winners and losers of the Mike Williams trade.
Steelers winners after Mike Williams trade:
QB Russell Wilson
Of all the Steelers jumping for joy after the NFL trade deadline, nobody should be more excited than Russell Wilson. Despite his age (Wilson turns 36 years old this month), he has never been more willing to launch his patented moonballs down the sideline.
Wilson has already gained a tremendous amount of trust in George Pickens. Now he has another receiver he can launch the ball to down the sidelines. At 6'4'' and with excellent body control, Williams can still be trusted in 'jump ball' and contested situations. His presence is a great fit for Wilson, who likes to take chances down the sidelines.
WR George Pickens
Wilson isn't the only player who benefits from Williams' arrival. Pickens also has the organization to thank. While Pickens is the WR1 in Pittsburgh and wants to see the ball often, Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin weren't doing enough to draw extra attention opposite him.
With Williams in the mix and on a team that's a great fit for his skill set, defenses will be forced to stay accountable for what he can do down the field. This should open up Pickens to more favorable coverage if Williams can keep the defense honest.
OC Arthur Smith
Arthur Smith has made lemonade out of lemons early in the season with a makeshift offensive line and low-end receiving options. Now he finally gets another toy to play with, and it could benefit his offense in a big way.
Smith's play-action pass will allow more than enough time for Williams to long stride down the field and exploit one-on-one matchups against much smaller cornerbacks. This should increase the upside of the passing offense while simultaneously opening up the running game.
Steelers losers after Mike Williams trade:
WR Van Jefferson
If there's a player whose role has essentially been replaced with the Mike Williams trade, it's Van Jefferson. The receiver who formerly worked opposite Pickens in Pittsburgh's offense this year will be supplanted by a player with a much better track record.
Jefferson has finally come alive in recent weeks, but there's no doubt his usage will go down after the Steelers acquired Williams from the Jets at the trade deadline.
WR Calvin Austin III
Thanks to Austin's emergence, his role as the team's primary slot receiver shouldn't be in jeopardy. However, because of how many heavy offensive packages the Steelers run, he could still see a reduced role on offense.
There will be plenty of times when Austin won't be featured, and if the Steelers are still looking for ways to get Jefferson involved, these two receivers could cut into each other's roles as the seldom-used slot receiver.
WR Scotty Miller
It may not have felt like it, but Scotty Miller was playing 23 percent of offensive snaps for the Steelers this season before the Mike Williams trade. Unfortunately, his role on the team is now expendable. Miller logged only eight special teams snaps in the first half of the year and fans shouldn't be surprised if Pittsburgh elects to part ways with him.
If Pittsburgh holds onto Miller for insurance purposes, we can expect him to start being a healthy scratch on game days.