Mike Williams says there was no hidden message behind his “Red Line” Instagram post that many interpreted as being a veiled shot at his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Scoring his first touchdown of the season on his first catch as a Pittsburgh Steeler down the “red line,” the midway point between the sideline and numbers, Williams says his post was about him and his current team. Not the one he used to play for.
“Nah, that wasn’t at all,” Williams said on GoJo and Golic when asked if his post was referring to Rodgers. “I made a name on the red line. That’s what I’m good at. Playing on the red line.”
The quick backstory. While with the Jets, Williams was called out for not running on the red line on a game-losing interception Rodgers threw against the Buffalo Bills. It quickly gained traction, a quarterback calling out his receiver after a primetime loss, and the Jets traded for WR Davante Adams hours later.
After his game-winning score Sunday, Williams posted this photo of the play that included a green snake emoji and #Redline, leading to the obvious belief – including from us – that it was a not-so-subtle shot at Rodgers.
Throughout his career, he’s made his biggest plays vertically and near the sideline, using his size and contested-catch ability to win downfield. That’s one reason why he was brought to Pittsburgh, and he’s displayed that one game in. Williams maintains there was no ill-intent.
“That was just a caption that was needed at the time,” he said. “That’s where the ball was caught at, and we won.”
Whether or not you buy that explanation is up to you. It’s hard to believe Rodgers’ comments weren’t on Williams’ mind when he made that post. But no matter what the meaning was or wasn’t, Williams is in a better place with Pittsburgh than he was in New York. He’s with a contending team and has an active and growing role in an ascending Steelers offense. Sitting at 3-7 and coming off a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Jets’ season is already over before Thanksgiving.
