Jets WR Injury Could Take Another Steelers WR Target Off Trade Market
An injury to New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard could take Mike Williams, another Pittsburgh Steelers target, off the trade market.
Yet another potential Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver trade target looks like he could be coming off the market, as the New York Jets got some bad injury news that could impact the availability of veteran wide receiver Mike Williams at the NFL trade deadline.
Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard is being placed on the injured reserve list with a chest injury, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Lazard suffered the injury against the Steelers in the Week 7 Sunday Night Football game between the teams on Oct. 20. He did not practice last week and was held out of the Jets’ Week 8 loss to the New England Patriots.
With Lazard sidelined for at least the next four games, Williams will again join the top three receivers in the Jets rotation. The 30-year-old was first rumored to be available after the Jets traded for Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams. With Adams, former first-round pick Garrett Wilson and Lazard taking the top three spots, it was reported that the Jets could look to flip Wilson. The Steelers, who had been in on Adams but unable to land him, were immediately considered one of the favorites to get Williams.
Trade talks between the teams were put on hold just before the clubs faced off against one another, and it seems likely now that the injury to Lazard will further shelve them.
If Williams is not traded, it will represent another in a series of blows to the Steelers chances of trading for a wide receiver. In addition to missing on Adams and very publicly failing to get the San Francisco 49ers to trade Brandon Aiyuk before the season, the Steelers also missed out on Tennessee Titans veteran DeAndre Hopkins, who was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Steelers were considered the favorites to land Cooper Kupp, but his performance in a Los Angeles Rams upset victory on Thursday seems to have him off the market. Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk suffered a season-ending collarbone injury this weekend, taking himself off the market. It was reported on Tuesday that the New York Giants are unlikely to trade Darius Slayton.
Williams signed a one-year deal with the Jets this offseason and has played in all eight games with New York so far and made two starts. He has 11 catches for 160 yards, both fifth on the team.
The Steelers had tried to sign Williams in the offseason, scheduling a free agent visit with him, but he signed with the Jets before ever coming to Pittsburgh.
RELATED: NY Jets Sign WR Mike Williams Before Steelers Visit
Before this season, Williams had spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Chargers, who drafted him at No. 7 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver has been one of the top deep-ball threats in the NFL in his six pro seasons, but injuries have slowed his production in the last few years.
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