The Pittsburgh Steelers have been calling around to add a wide receiver for several months now, and on Tuesday, they finally made a deal happen by trading for Mike Williams.
Let's take a look at the details of the trade between the Steeles and the Jets, and then we're going to grade it.
The trade
- Steelers get: Mike Williams
- Jets get: 2025 fifth-round pick
(via CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones)
The grades
Steelers: B-
The Steelers have had their eyes on Williams for a few weeks now, and not only did they get him, but they didn't have to give up very much to make a deal happen. The Steelers only had to send a fifth-round pick to the Jets, which is almost worth it just for Williams' locker room presence alone. The 30-year-old should provide a veteran presence for a Steelers receiving group that already includes George Pickens, Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson. Also, Williams is likely going to be motivated because he's never really played for a winner. In his eight seasons, he's only played in two playoff games and never made it out of the divisional round. Williams didn't put up huge numbers this year in New York, but he was a big-play threat who averaged 13.9 yards per catch, which led the Jets through the first nine weeks. If he can continue to make those big splash plays while catching passes from Russell Wilson, then this trade will have been well worth it for Pittsburgh. on the other hand, Williams is coming off an ACL tear in 2023 and hasn't looked explosive so far this year, so it will be interesting to see how much he actually contributes to the offense.
Jets: B
The Jets receiving room became a little too crowded after they decided to trade for Davante Adams, and it was pretty clear someone was going to have to go. In the end, that ended up being Williams. The veteran receiver got called out by Aaron Rodgers for running the wrong route in Week 6, and after that happened, it only seemed like a matter of time before the Jets were going to get rid of him. The Jets signed Williams to a one-year deal back in March, so he was almost certainly going to be gone after the 2024 season, but thanks to this trade, the Jets will now get something in return, even if it's just a fifth-round pick. The only reason this grade isn't higher is because it's not clear who's going to take over as the third receiver in the Jets' offense. Allen Lazard is currently on injured reserve and the Jets don't have a lot of experience outside of him.