Wide receiver Mike Williams was traded from the Jets to the Steelers this week and the move didn’t come as a great surprise given the way his brief time with the AFC East team played out.
The hope was that Williams would be part of a dynamic passing attack with the Jets, but he only caught 12 passes and caught the most attention for Aaron Rodgers saying he ran the wrong route on a game-ending interception against the Bills. On Wednesday, Williams told reporters that he thinks the extended recovery from last season’s torn ACL hampered his ability to contribute with the Jets.
“It was cool,” Williams said. “Obviously going there after the ACL, not having OTAs or training camp to get the chemistry right with Aaron. He’s real detailed. He likes what he likes. I feel like me not being able to go in there and transition in as quick is probably what went wrong.”
The lack of practice reps could be an issue with the Steelers as well. Williams and quarterback Russell Wilson won’t have much time to work together before being thrown into game action, so Williams said he’s looking for ways to build up their chemistry.
“I’m looking forward to getting more reps in off to the side with him,” Williams said. “Just getting that connection down, see the spots he likes, where I like the ball at so we can be on the same page.”
Williams is expected to be in the mix for Sunday’s game against the Commanders and we’ll start to find out if there’s a better match in Pittsburgh than there was in Jersey.