Admin November 5, 2024
NFL Week 9 picks and predictions
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his best bets for NFL Week 9 games.
Lorenzo’s Locks
Wide receiver Mike Williams is on the move after being on the trading block for several days.
The New York Jets traded Williams to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade isn’t official yet.
The Jets are receiving a fifth-round pick in exchange, per multiple reports.
Multiple teams inquired about Williams after the Jets acquired star wide receiver Davante Adams in October. A person close to the situation told USA TODAY Sports that Williams’ name kept coming up in trade scenarios and the Steelers were one of the team’s that coveted the 6-4 wideout. He’s now found a new home in Pittsburgh.
Williams never really established a rapport with Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his involvement in the offense was sparse in his first season in New York. Rodgers seemingly confirmed the trade on the “The Pat McAfee Show”.
“Mike is a good guy. He’ll be good in that locker room. … He’s had a nice career. Sometimes a change of scenery is great for certain guys. It was great for me,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “We kind of knew with Davante coming in that there would be less targets for everybody. (Garrett Wilson) leads the league in targets. He needs to get his targets. And (Davante) is a dynamic player, he’s gonna get his targets. If this gives Mike more opportunities that’s awesome, and we wish Mike well.”
The eighth-year receiver had just 12 catches and 166 yards in nine regular-season games with the Jets. He ranked sixth on the team in both catches and receiving yards.
Williams had fallen to the Jets’ fourth wide receiver behind Adams, Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard. But the Jets placed Lazard on injured reserve prior to Week 9 due to a chest injury. Without Lazard, Williams played 41 total snaps during the team’s “Thursday Night Football” victory, third most among Jets receivers behind Wilson (57) and Adams (45). But he logged only one catch for six yards.
The Jets signed Williams in March after he was released by the Los Angeles Chargers. He tore his ACL during Week 3 of last season in what was his final year with the Chargers. He tallied 309 catches, 4,806 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns in seven seasons in Los Angeles.
Why Pittsburgh Steelers traded for Mike Williams
Mike Williams has a big catch radius and is very skilled at making contested catches. He hasn’t looked the same with the Jets after tearing his ACL in 2023, but that could be attributed to his lack of chemistry with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets’ offense.
At 6-foot-4, the big receiver is a good security blanket for a quarterback. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson throws a receiver-friendly deep ball. Williams should fit right in with the Steelers and be a good wideout opposite of George Pickens.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.