Just before the trade deadline passed last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers made some roster additions. Pittsburgh traded for wide receiver Mike Williams and defensive lineman Preston Smith. Both of those two made a big impact in the Steelers’ win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Late in the fourth quarter of his Steelers’ debut, Williams caught a deep ball from Russell Wilson, scoring the eventual game-winning touchdown. Williams didn’t make a huge impact, as that was his only reception for the game. Still, the fact that Williams made such a key play despite being with a team for less than a week is impressive.
During his media availability on Wednesday, Williams was asked how he’s adjusting to his new team. He spoke about his nervousness ahead of Sunday’s game but mentioned how he settled in as the game went on.
“I’m not gonna lie to you,” Williams said. “Last week, I was a little nervous. I was like, dang, I’m getting thrown into the fire, and I just learned these plays in less than a week… I got back in the flow of playing football and just being out there, even if it’s for a new team and a new system. So it wasn’t that tough of an adjustment.”
It’s reasonable for Williams to have felt nervous. He’s been a talented player throughout his career but has struggled with injuries in recent years. He joined the New York Jets before the season began, but things didn’t go too well there, to say the least. After the Jets acquired Davante Adams a few weeks ago, Williams became more flexible and thus was traded to Pittsburgh.
Mike Williams is trying to prove himself at this point in his career. He came off a disappointing stint in New York. Pittsburgh is a chance to revive his career, in a sense. Although he only had one catch in his Steelers’ debut, it was a huge one. So far, he’s looking like a valuable addition to the receiving core, just as Pittsburgh hoped.
