The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired WR Mike Williams from the New York Jets ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, and despite the fact that Williams isn’t having a strong season so far, former NFL defensive lineman and current analyst Chris Long thinks the Steelers will get the best Williams has to offer. On his Green Light podcast, Long said that Williams will be motivated by his new situation.
“Hell hath no fury like a scorned wide receiver. Like a wide receiver scorned. And you got a guy that just got made fun of because he couldn’t run on the right side of the red line, and his trade just got parsed on live TV by his quarterback. You gotta think about where this dude’s been. He’s played most of his career in a factory of sadness,” Long said.
The news of Williams’ trade surfaced while Aaron Rodgers was on The Pat McAfee Show, and he spoke highly of Williams but it’s clear that the situation in New York wasn’t the best fit for Williams. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he made just two playoff appearances with the team, which could never find a way to get over the hump. Long thinks Williams will be “psyched” to be in a better situation in Pittsburgh.
“You’re gonna get his best ball,” he said.
Williams was recovering from a torn ACL and his slow ramp-up and recovery led to him missing time in training camp and made it harder for him to forge a connection with Rodgers. Despite looking like a major addition for New York this offseason, Williams amassed just 12 catches for 166 yards in nine games with the Jets. It wasn’t the way either side expected things to go, and after the Jets traded for WR Davante Adams, Williams became expendable.
He landed with a Steelers team that has playoff hopes in 6-2 and had prior interest in Williams, as he was scheduled for a meeting with the Steelers that didn’t happen due to him signing with New York earlier in that week. It’s clear the Steelers viewed Williams as a good fit for their offense, and they’re getting a player who might feel a little bit slighted over how things went down in New York.
With Pittsburgh’s vertical passing game taking off with Russell Wilson at quarterback, Williams’ ability to win downfield should provide a big boost for the Steelers’ offense. If they wind up getting the version of Williams who looked like one of the best at the position over the first three games of 2023, the trade will wind up being a major win for Pittsburgh.
