The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded for veteran New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams, per multiple media reports. The Steelers are sending a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Jets in exchange for Williams, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Williams, 30, is a 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver that will immediate provide size and experience to the group of receivers playing alongside George Pickens.
The Steelers’ pursuit of Williams began all the way back in the spring, when the team had a free agent visit scheduled with Williams, but he took the deal on his first visit, signing a one-year, $10 million contract with the Jets.
The #Steelers will be on the hook for just $627,500 of his salary for the remainder of the season. Williams also has some incentive bonuses win his contract that he can reach.
With the Jets, Williams was expected to be the second primary outside option, along with former first-round pick Garrett Wilson, but he never developed much of a connection with starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In nine games, Williams caught just 12 passes for 166 yards.
When the Jets traded to reunite Rodgers with former Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams, Williams was put on the trade block and the Steelers were immediately interested. Those talks were put on hold around the Week 7 game between the teams at Acrisure Stadium, despite Steelers fans courting Williams coming off the field after the game.
An injury to Jets slot receiver Allen Lazard in that game, and a soft market in general, seemed to put a Williams trade on hold, but Steelers general manager Omar Khan was able to come through with a deal before Tuesday’s 4 p.m deadline to land the veteran playmaker.
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. Williams has been one of the top deep-ball threats in the NFL in his seven pro seasons, but injuries have slowed his production in the last few years.