The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to host wide receiver Mike Williams on a visit this week, according to a report by Jordan Schultz. But first, Williams will visit the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. Then, it will come to the Steelers, who have a huge need at wide receiver to fill. The Los Angeles Chargers also want to bring Williams back after trading Keenan Allen.
Adam Schefter shared more information on these visits on the Pat McAfee Show, stating that the Steelers are the last of these scheduled visits, and he could be using those visits as leverage for a new contract with the Chargers.
“Well, he’s scheduled to visit Pittsburgh later in the week. He’s scheduled to be the last visit. Now, I say ‘scheduled’ because in free agency, you never know how these visits are going to come off. I think the Chargers, now that they have traded Keenan Allen, have an interest in bringing him back, and for all we know, he’s leveraging these visits into a better deal with the Chargers.,” Schefter said. “You just don’t ever really know until it’s done, but as it is right now, he’s scheduled to arrive in New Jersey tonight to visit with the Jets tomorrow, to then go to Carolina to visit with the Panthers, and then to visit with the Steelers, while the Chargers have some interest. Where he ends up from that group, we don’t know yet.
Williams, 29, has been with the Chargers since they selected him as the No. 7 overall pick out of Clemson 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 two years.
Williams got his start as a big-time deep threat. In 2019, he led the NFL in yards per reception at 20.4, and his average depth of target was absurdly 17.8 yards. Williams had his most productive season in 2021, when he caught 76 passes for 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns.
In 2022, he missed four regular-season games with ankle injuries and then suffered a small fracture in his back, causing him to miss the Chargers’ playoff game. Last year, Williams tore his ACL in Week 3, ending his season.
The Chargers released Williams as part of a salary purge the team needed to get com compliant.
The Steelers have released veteran slot receiver Allen Robinson II and traded star outside receiver Diontae Johnson this month, leaving the team very needy at the wide receiver position, but they apparently are not in the running to land the top free agent available. They signed veteran Van Jefferson.
Williams and Pickens would give the Steelers a pair of big-bodied deep threats, a perfect set-up for Arthur Smith’s play-action scheme and Russell Wilson’s propensity for throwing rainbow deep balls. But it remains to be seen if that will happen.
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