The New York Jets have traded large receiver Mike Williams to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth-round choose in subsequent 12 months’s draft, an individual acquainted with the deal advised The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Williams struggled with manufacturing and constructing a relationship with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in his first season with New York. He grew to become expendable when the Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders final month.
The individual spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity as a result of the groups had not introduced the deal. ESPN first reported the commerce.
Williams, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract with New York within the offseason as a free agent, made simply 12 receptions for 166 yards in 9 video games with the Jets. He goes from the struggling Jets to the first-place Steelers (6-2), who’ve been searching for months to enrich star participant George Pickens.
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“Mike is a superb man,” Rodgers mentioned throughout his weekly look on “The Pat McAfee Show” simply as information of the commerce was reported. “He’ll be good in that locker room… He’s had a great profession, and typically a change of surroundings is nice for some guys. It’s been nice for me to get excited once more and stuff like that.
“We knew that with Davante coming in there can be fewer targets for everybody.”
The addition of Williams additionally offers the Steelers a giant crimson zone goal for Russell Wilson, together with Pickens and tight finish Pat Freiermuth. While Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III have seen their manufacturing improve since Wilson returned after lacking the primary six video games with a calf harm, they each lack Williams’ measurement and resume.
“If this offers Mike extra alternatives, that is nice,” Rodgers mentioned. “We want Mike nicely.”
The 6-foot-4 Williams spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, for whom he caught 309 passes for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his proper knee in Week 3 final 12 months and missed the remainder of the season. The Jets slowly introduced Williams alongside through the offseason and into coaching camp, however he by no means appeared to get together with Rodgers when he hit the sphere.
“Mike is a quiet man, simply goes about his enterprise,” Rodgers mentioned. “Mike had a nasty harm final 12 months, a torn anterior cruciate ligament. It’s troublesome to get well from, and he educated exhausting all final season. He wasn’t there for a lot of practices and was engaged on the sidelines. But I felt he was bettering through the first a part of the season, I felt his pace was bettering and he was beginning to really feel extra snug.
In New York’s 23–20 loss to the Buffalo Bills on October 21, Rodgers shot at Williams within the closing minutes, however was intercepted when Taron Johnson intercepted Williams’ quick move and sealed the loss for the Jets . Rodgers later mentioned that Williams had gone down the incorrect path. The large receiver mentioned he wasn’t bothered by the quarterback’s criticism and mentioned the 2 talked about it.
But Williams then grew to become the topic of commerce rumors.
Six days after New York’s loss to Buffalo, Williams caught a 15-yard move in a 37-15 loss at Pittsburgh. And now he’ll play for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh has been searching for one other large receiver to put reverse Pickens for the reason that crew traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers within the offseason. The Steelers missed Brandon Aiyuk – who opted to stick with the San Francisco 49ers – and didn’t land Adams or DeAndre Hopkins when each grew to become obtainable.
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Steelers coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that the crew was seeking to improve its roster total for the stretch run, however he additionally needed to acknowledge the elevated high quality of play from Austin and Jefferson.
“I really feel like we have now a hard-working, succesful group who’re keen to indicate the world of soccer these abilities,” Tomlin mentioned Tuesday shortly earlier than the commerce. “And each time we stroll right into a stadium, they’ve the chance to try this. And you have already seen some examples of that.”
But not sufficient to withstand the potential of bringing Williams at a comparatively low price.
The transfer truly leaves the Jets somewhat shorthanded at large receiver. New York nonetheless has starters Adams and Garrett Wilson, together with backups Xavier Gipson, particular teamer Irvin Charles and rookie Malachi Corley, who noticed his first NFL landing overturned Thursday evening towards the Houston Texans when he dropped the ball earlier than going by means of the door line.
Allen Lazard, who has 30 receptions for 412 yards and is tied with Wilson with a team-leading 5 landing receptions, is on IR with a chest harm.
Associated Press reporting.
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