The Pittsburgh Steelers traded for WR Mike Williams, so it is safe to assume they think he is a good fit with the team, right? Mike Tomlin wasn’t so generous with his answer when that question was posed to him on Wednesday, the day after Williams was acquired from the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick.
“That’s to be discovered. I didn’t say that,” Tomlin responded to the question of what makes Williams a good fit in a video posted by 93.7 The Fan on X. “And so, we’ll get to know him. We’ll get to know his skill set, and we’ll figure those things out along the way.”
Tomlin is a coach who is reserved in his praise for players, especially the ones he is just getting to know. Rookies often get a pretty cold treatment from Tomlin when he is speaking to the media about them. Beanie Bishop Jr. was a good example of that this preseason. While Bishop was listed as a starter on the depth chart, Tomlin continuously told the media not to read into it and that Bishop hadn’t shown enough to deserve anything.
Coaches have to double as psychologists, so maybe it is just Tomlin’s way of feeling out his new receiver and making sure external expectations aren’t too high.
It also has to be considered that the Steelers were scouring the earth for any possible receiver who could help them. Insider Mark Kaboly wrote yesterday on X that the team was attempting to make a move for DK Metcalf or Courtland Sutton but couldn’t find a willing trade partner on the other end. Given that they have been after WR help for so long, and the fact that Roman Wilson is on IR, it would be a reasonable conclusion to say that the Steelers settled for Williams.
Maybe Tomlin wasn’t completely sold on Williams, but recognized, along with general manager Omar Khan, that they needed depth at the position and their options were very limited as the deadline neared.
From the outside, it seems that his fit is a WR2 opposite George Pickens who can help with explosive plays down the field. Russell Wilson has already shown that the deep ball is still a big part of his game, and Williams is great in those situations. But his production is lower than that of Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson, who are both already on the roster. Can he really slot in as the No. 2 WR and make a big difference?
It’s hard to say for sure, but Tomlin’s answer was pretty interesting either way.
