In the blink of an eye, GM Omar Khan made some upgrades to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster, giving them answers at positions of need ahead of the 4 PM trade deadline Tuesday.
The Steelers added wide receiver Mike Williams via trade from the Jets and swung a deal with the Green Bay Packers to land EDGE Preston Smith in a surprise move. Entering the day, the Steelers had 52 players on their 53-man roster, so with the acquisition of Williams and Smith, a corresponding move was needed.
They ended up waiving tight end Rodney Williams from their 53-man roster. The Steelers also waived LB Craig Young and WR Andy Isabella from their practice squad.
Though it’s tough to see the Steelers move on from Rodney Williams — he could circle back to the practice squad if he clears waivers — the additions of Mike Williams and Smith are welcome for the Steelers, who are set to enter a very challenging second half of the season.
Williams addresses depth and talent concerns at the receiver position. Though he had his struggles this season in New York, Williams remains a solid receiver, one who continues to make plays in contested-catch situations. On the season, Williams is five-for-seven in contested-catch situations. He is 94-for-171 in his career, good for a 55% contested-catch rate.
He’s a downfield threat who doesn’t create much separation, but he can still win through contact and make plays above the rim. That is what the Steelers need opposite George Pickens offensively under Arthur Smith. Former NFL GM Rick Spielman called the Williams trade a “perfect fit.” for the Steelers.
As for Smith, the acquisition of the veteran EDGE defender gives the Steelers a significant boost behind T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. Herbig has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, but the second-year man is optimistic he’ll return in Week 10 against the Commanders.
The Steelers’ depth has been tested at outside linebacker this season. DeMarvin Leal was lost for the season due to a neck injury, Markus Golden retired in training camp, and Jeremiah Moon, who has been the No. 3 OLB with Herbig sidelined, started the season on IR before returning in Week 5 against the Cowboys.
Smith, who was acquired for a 2025 seventh-round pick, was in his sixth season with the Packers after spending the first four seasons of his career in Washington.
He’s racked up 68.5 career sacks, but this season saw his playing time dwindle. He played just 54% of Green Bay’s snaps on defense this season, registering 19 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Smith is durable, as he’s missed just one game in his career due to injury, having played in 155 career games with 138 starts.
This season, Pro Football Focus has him with a 61.8 overall grade, which ranks 95th out of 192 qualified EDGE rushers.
