Despite Allen Lazard’s move to IR, the Jets will not retain Mike Williams, who will instead serve as the Steelers’ long-awaited receiver upgrade. Pittsburgh is sending New York a fifth-round pick for the recent free agent addition, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The exchanged pick is a 2025 selection, with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero noting that New York will receive the lower of Pittsburgh’s two fifth-round picks. The Steelers have had their eye on Williams for some time, making inquiries with the Jets shortly after acquiring Davante Adams and beginning to shop Williams, their March signing. Now, Pittsburgh finally gains a complement for George Pickens.
Williams, 30, is in the midst of a difficult season. Signed on a one-year, $10 million contract, the former Chargers 1,000-yard receiver has managed only 12 receptions for 166 yards this year.
He follows Mecole Hardman as a Jets free-agent WR acquisition to be traded within months. Williams, though, has shown higher production in the past, and the Steelers hope the former top-10 pick can recapture some of his Chargers-era performance.
The Steelers have been considering a Williams trade for a while, even showing interest in him between his release from the Chargers and his signing with the Jets. Pittsburgh, along with Carolina, had scheduled free agency visits for Williams, but after he visited New York, the other meetings were canceled. The fit with the Aaron Rodgers-led Jets, however, failed to materialize.
A late-game error in Week 6 led to a critical interception by the Bills, marking the Jets’ first loss under Robert Saleh. But Williams had struggled to establish himself in the offense well before this misstep. Rodgers’ postgame critique of Williams’ route likely didn’t help.
After returning from an ACL tear in September 2023, Williams made his Jets debut but was soon surpassed by Lazard—Rodgers’ long-time Packers teammate—in the WR hierarchy. With Adams joining Garrett Wilson, Williams’ opportunities in New York dwindled.
Lazard’s IR status in Week 9 might have impacted the Williams trade market, with the Jets perhaps attempting to use it as leverage by suggesting they might keep Williams. Now, however, they’ll rely on Malachi Corley and Xavier Gipson behind their top two receivers. Williams, meanwhile, has a path to the Steelers’ WR2 role in a Russell Wilson-led offense.
Williams boasts two 1,000-yard seasons in his career. The Chargers often utilized the Clemson product, the No. 7 pick in the 2017 draft, as a deep threat, though he demonstrated greater versatility under offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.
The Chargers gave him an expanded role from 2021-22, and he produced his best season in 2021, helping Justin Herbert secure an AFC Pro Bowl starter spot with 1,146 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. In that season’s finale, he made key catches during a near-playoff-clinching game against the Raiders, though a last-second Las Vegas field goal eliminated the Chargers, who would have advanced with a tie.
The 2022 season brought more injury woes. After missing time earlier in the year, Williams fractured his back in a Week 18 game in Denver.
This setback weakened Los Angeles’ passing attack ahead of their wild-card matchup against Jacksonville, where they squandered a 27-point lead without their talented WR2. With Brandon Staley’s position under scrutiny after Williams’ injuries, the receiver then tore his ACL in Week 3 of the following season.
Despite restructuring his contract to achieve cap compliance in March, the Chargers explored a trade with the Jets. However, the Chargers opted to stand down before the trade deadline.
Williams’ early career includes a 10-touchdown 2018 season and a league-leading 20.4 yards per reception in 2019; these downfield metrics may become relevant again with Wilson’s deep-throwing ability. Still, Williams is now at a different stage of his career. It remains to be seen if the Steelers will seek to revive his early-career skillset.
Pittsburgh will take on the remaining balance of Williams’ salary, Schefter reports, mirroring the Jets’ approach with their WR trade. However, Pittsburgh’s financial obligation will be considerably lower, with Williams owed roughly $2.5 million for the remainder of the season.
Though Calvin Austin has performed better since Wilson took over, Williams will likely soon rank ahead of Austin and Van Jefferson in the team’s passing hierarchy. Due to Williams’ injury history, however, the Steelers will need to manage his playing time carefully.
This concludes an intriguing journey for the Steelers, who initially targeted Williams before intensifying their efforts to bolster their receiving corps. They inquired about Deebo Samuel during the draft and even reached a preliminary trade framework with the 49ers during the Brandon Aiyuk saga.
After Aiyuk opted to stay with the 49ers, the Steelers explored other options, including Adams and Cooper Kupp, though the Rams’ recent playoff contention led them to hold onto Kupp. Pittsburgh also showed interest in Courtland Sutton and Darius Slayton, but Williams now fills the role.
With Williams in place, he’ll have the chance to play a larger role and potentially boost his 2025 free-agent market value. The Jets, meanwhile, will rely on their younger receivers for support behind their top targets. Known more for parting ways with wide receivers than acquiring them, the Steelers will control Williams’ negotiating rights until the start of the legal tampering period in March.
