The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran WR Robert Woods last week, and now we know he’ll will wear No. 16 for the Steelers. Woods’ number was posted to the team’s website.
The last Steelers player to be assigned No. 16 was WR Quez Watkins, although Watkins never appeared in a game with the Steelers. LB Myles Jack wore the number during his four-game stint with the Steelers in 2023, and it was most notably worn by QB Charlie Batch from 2003-2012.
This year will be Woods’ 13th season in the league. He began his career as a second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2013 NFL Draft and spent the first four seasons of his career in Buffalo. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the 2017 season, and his best seasons came with Los Angeles, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019. He fell just short with 936 yards in 2020.
Woods was traded to the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2023 season, spending one year with them before signing with the Houston Texans, where he played last season.
No. 16 will be the fourth different uniform number Woods has worn in his NFL career. He wore No. 10 with the Bills, No. 17 initially with the Rams before switching to No. 2 in 2021, and continued to wear No. 2 with the Titans and Texans. QB Mason Rudolph currently wears No. 2 for the Steelers, as he did during his first stint with the team from 2018-2023, so Woods will wear No. 16.
Woods should provide some receiver depth for the Steelers and someone who has experience both in the slot and outside. Pittsburgh’s receiver room is a bit crowded, but Woods is a veteran presence and a willing blocker, which is always a plus for a receiver in a Arthur Smith-led offense.
In addition to assigning Woods No. 16, the Steelers announced the jersey numbers for the entirety of their rookie class today, including undrafted free agents. The team had previously announced that DL Derrick Harmon would wear No. 99, but numbers for the rest of the class were revealed today, with rookie minicamp beginning on Friday.
Robert Woods obviously won’t take part in rookie minicamp. The first opportunity for him to hit the field with the Steelers outside of their current strength and conditioning offseason phase will come on May 27 when the team has its first OTA session.
