Since the New York Jets acquired wide receiver Davante Adams in a trade with the Raiders on Oct. 15 , there have been discussions about the Jets trading a receiver from their room before the deadline. Teams have reportedly inquired about Garrett Wilson, but could eight-year pro-Mike Williams be the trade casualty?
Reports suggest that several teams are interested in Williams, including his former team, the Los Angeles Chargers , and the Jets’ Week 7 opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers and the Jets have decided to hold off on any trade discussions until after Sunday’s game.
Pittsburgh has a 4-2 record, putting it second in the AFC North with the same record as the Ravens; Baltimore is 1-0 in conference play. The Steelers are in the bottom six in the league in passing yards with 1,001. George Pickens is the team’s standout wide receiver (363 receiving yards), but it lacks supporting pieces around him. Could a trade for Williams add some much-needed experience to the group?
Williams was a productive receiver for the Chargers in his seven seasons with the team. Two 1,000-yard seasons could have been three without injuries in 2022. An ACL tear in his third game of the 2023 season meant he would not return until 2024.
The Jets took a chance on his recovery from the injury, signing the free agent in the offseason. After a slow start, he began to feature more in a lackluster passing game.
The Steelers are having similar problems airing the ball out. Head coach Mike Tomlin hopes a quarterback change will unlock the passing game. Veteran Russell Wilson is reportedly taking over duties from Justin Fields for the Week 7 game against the Jets, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. If Wilson finds his past form and the Steelers acquire Williams in a trade, the offense could improve significantly.
Williams has 10 receptions for 145 receiving yards on 17 targets this season after seeing just one target in the first two games. Despite seeing a drop off since his season-ending injury last season, Williams still has plenty to give.
As for the Steelers and Jets, adding to their pass game could be key in returning to the postseason.
