The Pittsburgh Steelers were looking for a new wide receiver to complement George Pickens from the moment they traded Diontae Johnson back in March. After potential trades for star receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Davante Adams didn’t pan out, Omar Khan snagged veteran receiver Mike Williams from the New York Jets for a much cheaper price (a 2025 fifth-round pick) just ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
In case you missed it, Williams was a hero in his first game as a Steeler, catching a game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to beat the Washington Commanders, 28-27.
Over the last three weeks, Mike Williams hasn’t caught a single pass. He’s not even being targeted. Ten different players caught a pass for the Steelers on Sunday — a team record — and Williams wasn’t one of them.
In his weekly press conference Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about Williams’ lack of involvement in the passing game.
“It’s gonna happen,” Tomlin said. “It’s simply a matter of time. I was really encouraged by the playmaking that he made during the week in preparation for the [Bengals] game. Often times when you’re making plays in preparation it ultimately shows up in play. I don’t think any of us are pushing the panic button in that regard. I think all of us are just anxiously awaiting what we’re looking at day to day to turn up with a higher level of consistency in stadium in terms of the opportunity.”
It’s hard to complain about Mike Williams’ lack of involvement when the Steelers produce like they did against the Bengals on Sunday. The Bengals had no answers for a passing attack that featured lots of running back screens, short, play-action passes, and occasional shots down the sidelines and over the middle. Arthur Smith dialed up plays that allowed Russell Wilson to effortlessly get the ball to his playmakers with a lot of green grass in front of them.
Some analysts are now questioning why the Steelers traded for Williams if they weren’t expecting to use him as the second or third option on an offense lacking consistent receiving threats. Williams has had a great career, and he’s still capable of making big plays down the field. I wouldn’t call the trade pointless, considering Williams’ touchdown in the Commanders game has the Steelers at 9-3 with a more comfortable lead in the AFC North. At the very least, he’s done a lot more with that one catch than Diontae Johnson has with his lone grab for the Baltimore Ravens (he might not be there much longer).
The Steelers are set to face a pair of tough secondaries in the coming weeks (the Eagles and Chiefs), and they’ll need Williams’ veteran presence and splash-play ability to open things up. He’s more respected and feared by opposing defensive backs than Van Jefferson, which alleviates some pressure from George Pickens.
Williams has played hero for the Steelers once, and I think he’ll have a major role to play as Pittsburgh closes out the regular season seeking its first AFC North title since 2020.
