This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers created a somewhat significant need for themselves.
George Pickens is the last reliable wide receiver left on the squad after they dealt Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers.
Since then, they have signed Van Jefferson to a one-year contract, although Johnson won’t be replaced by him.
It appears that the Steelers may turn to a seasoned receiver who was just released to get that answer.
The Steelers and former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams are scheduled to play this week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
WR2 Is Robust for the Chargers
When Williams joined the NFL, there were a lot of expectations for him. Two seasons with 1000 yards per year persuaded the Chargers to choose him seventh overall in 2017.
Over the past seven seasons, he has been a reliable component of the Chargers’ passing game even though he hasn’t become the star that many had anticipated.
Williams has played with the Chargers for four seasons with at least 750 yards and two seasons with more than 1000 yards.
He was playing some of the finest football of his career this past season when an injury ended his season.
Before tearing his ACL in Week 3, he had already picked up 19 receptions for 249 yards and a touchdown.
Regretfully, the Chargers found it challenging to retain him throughout the offseason due to their cap constraints.
The team faced some difficult choices as the season approached because they had several large contracts on their books and were much above the cap. Among these choices was Williams’ $60 million, three-year contract.
They ultimately decided to let Williams go, which resulted in a $20 million cap space savings.
After being undrafted, he is a receiver that is drawing interest from teams all across the league.
The Steelers’ Rivalry for Williams
There are other teams interested in the former Chargers receiver besides the Steelers.
Williams has scheduled meetings with the Jets and Panthers for this week, according to Schefter as well.
The Jets believed they had acquired their WR2 in the summer when they inked Allen Lazard to a $44 million, four-year contract.
After the 2023 move didn’t pan out, they are once again searching for a receiver to complement Garrett Wilson and provide Aaron Rodgers with the weapons he needs to win a Super Bowl.
With the trade for Johnson, the Panthers made their first significant move at wide receiver; now, they could look to add another potent option after Bryce Young had a lackluster rookie season. Schefter also mentioned the Chargers, who were thin at wide receiver after trading Keenan Allen; the Raiders, meanwhile, have reportedly scheduled a visit with Williams. One other team that has entered the mix is the Chargers.
With Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers already on the team, the Raiders are a bit of an odd fit, but they might be trying their hardest to improve an attack that had serious problems in 2023.
Williams might still end up with the Steelers despite the fact that all of these clubs are in the running.
They just restructured Donte Jackson’s contract, freeing up more than $4 million in more cap room.
With Johnson out of the picture, they will have an abundance of options at their disposal that may go Williams’ way.
Now that they have Russell Wilson, the Steelers can also provide Williams with superior quarterback performance than the Raiders and Panthers.
The receiver market is currently restricted, so there will be fierce competition for any talented players at the position. Nevertheless, the Steelers should make every effort to ensure that Wilson has the teammates he needs to be successful in Pittsburgh.
