Rewind to free agency in March, and WR Mike Williams has an opportunity to end up with the Pittsburgh Steelers the first time around. He was reportedly scheduled to visit the team but had a stop with the New York Jets. He didn’t bother taking his visit with the Steelers to weigh his options. He never made it out of New York and signed a one-year, $10 million contract.
The contract worked out okay for him, but it was quite the opposite on the field, and therefore his earning potential for 2025 and beyond. Keep in mind that Williams is coming off an ACL injury and is now 30 years old. His earning potential was at an inflection point, and he needed a strong season to potentially earn one more two- or three-year contract before he could wind down his career.
Former NFL scout John Middlekauff thinks he should have just signed with the Steelers in the first place.
“Mike Williams basically chose. It came down between the Jets and the Steelers, and he chose the Jets. Which obviously, looking back in retrospect, was a mistake. If he could do that over again, he just would’ve gone to the Steelers,” Middlekauff said via his 3 and Out podcast on YouTube. “He showed a little life last week on that Thursday night game against the Texans. It’s not like he’s totally shot. He clearly is nowhere what he once was pre the injuries…You put him and [George] Pickens, big bodies, just throw deep balls, let them go get the 50-50 balls. I mean, that’s kind of how Russell Wilson plays.”
Just on records alone, it is quite obvious that Williams made the wrong decision. The Steelers are near the top of the AFC with a 6-2 record, while the Jets are on life support at 3-6. The Steelers beat them head-to-head.
However, Williams’ on-field performance hasn’t exactly put the final seasons of his career on a great trajectory. He has just 12 receptions for 166 yards and zero touchdowns. In a 17-game regular season, that would put him on pace for 22.7 receptions for 313.6 yards and zero touchdowns. At 30 years old and with an extensive injury history, he would be lucky to get more than the veteran minimum next season if that holds up.
I agree that Williams isn’t washed up. Just look at some of the catches from the film room I put together on him. He can still win in contested catch situations.
I can understand the appeal of playing with Aaron Rodgers, but the Jets have an awful track record of success, and Rodgers is on the wrong side of 40 years old coming off an Achilles tear. Williams probably would have been wise to come to Pittsburgh to hear their pitch.
I think the vision is to have Wilson, who is one of the best deep-ball passers of all time, push the ball downfield to Pickens and Williams. The Steelers had no solid plan at WR2, and simply taking the visit before making a decision may have made him realize this.
Regardless, now he is in Pittsburgh for much cheaper than he would have been otherwise, with a chance to right the ship of his 2024 season with nine more regular-season games and, hopefully, at least a couple in the playoffs.
