Mike Williams is ready to step up on Sundays…and Saturdays. And maybe Wednesdays if George Pickens continues to miss with his late-season hamstring injury. But he’s embracing getting the occasional day off during the practice week in an effort to be at his physical best when he steps inside stadiums.
“That’s helpful,” Williams said of getting days off via the team’s Twitter account. “That’s helpful. I’m one of the few players who didn’t have a bye.”
Williams’ off-week was supposed to come the week of the trade deadline. But instead of heading somewhere warm, perhaps south or back out west, he went to Pittsburgh. The Steelers acquired him during the trade deadline after their own bye, meaning Williams fell into the weird quirk of not having one on his schedule. He’s played in 14 games this season and is on track to participate in 18, putting him in rare territory.
On the season, Mike Williams and fellow trade-deadline acquisition and teammate EDGE Preston Smith are the only two players on pace to play every week of the season, joining 2023 Leonard Williams as the only modern-era players to do so. Though the NFL trade deadline was busy this year with other players who could’ve fallen into this 18-game quirk, their new teams held them out. Dallas Cowboys WR Jonathan Mingo was inactive for one game this year, while Detroit Lions DE Zadarius Smith was rested after being acquired by the Lions.
Williams received his first day off last Wednesday before practicing the rest of the week. He also sat out today’s practice, one of six Steelers to get the day off for non-injury reasons.
“[Cryotherapy], massages, sauna, cold tub, hot tub,” he said of how he takes care of his body mid-week. “A little bit of everything. I feel like with whatever can benefit you, go for it.”
With Pickens likely to miss Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles and possibly beyond, Williams must make his best impression. He’ll be the offense’s big-bodied, vertical receiver to take advantage of one-on-one matchups against single-high looks.
QB Russell Wilson has shown no hesitation in throwing deep to anyone and gave Williams two chances last week against the Cleveland Browns. Williams caught both, including a nifty one-handed snag, though OPI negated the other. Williams still won’t be a high-volume receiver, but making one big play downfield against a tough group of Eagles’ corners would go a long way in pulling off an upset and securing one of Pittsburgh’s biggest wins of the season.
