The Pittsburgh Steelers had a serious issue at wide receiver last year. George Pickens was good, but they didn’t have much around him. They tried to fix that by trading for Mike Williams in the middle of the season. However, outside of one touchdown, he didn’t make much of an impact in Pittsburgh.
“Last year was terrible for me,” Williams said Friday during his press conference with the Los Angeles Chargers, “Just being honest. It was terrible. Probably the worst year I had in the league by far. I’m just putting in the past. That was the past, trying to make it feel like it didn’t happen for me. Just getting back to what I’m used to doing and having fun.”
It isn’t surprising to hear that Williams wasn’t happy with his 2024 season. It was one of the ugliest of his career. With both the Steelers and the Jets, he only had 21 catches for 298 yards and one touchdown. Considering he was healthy for the whole season, it was extremely disappointing.
It doesn’t sound like Williams is taking a shot at the Steelers or the Jets, though. He just seems upset with how he played. It makes sense that 2024 was a bit of a struggle for him. Throughout his career, Williams has dealt with injuries. However, he suffered a season-ending injury in 2023. That seemed to sap much of his ability.
Perhaps he’ll be better in 2025, another year removed from that issue. He wasn’t quite the answer the Steelers wanted at wideout, but he did help them beat the Washington Commanders. He just had a lot to come back from, especially because he was starting to exit his prime.
Now, Williams rejoins the Chargers, with whom he spent the first seven years of his career. He’s not the only former Steeler they signed, either. The Chargers also brought in Najee Harris and Donte Jackson.
All those players will get an opportunity to face their former team in 2025 with the Steelers scheduled to face the Chargers in Los Angeles. Although it doesn’t seem like any of those former Steelers have bad blood with their former team, there are likely still going to be a lot of emotions involved. Williams will have a chance to prove that 2024 was a fluke and that he can still be a decent receiver.
