New Steelers WR Mike Williams explains what went wrong with him and Jets’ Aaron Rodgers

The inevitable happened on Tuesday when the Pittsburgh Steelers finally acquired their coveted veteran wideout. That wideout was former Jets receiver Mike Williams, who was traded to Pittsburgh after a disappointing nine-game run in New York. 

Williams, a productive player during the majority of his seven seasons with the Chargers, was expected to serve as the Jets’ No. 2 wideout alongside Garrett Wilson. But Williams struggled to make an impact with the Jets and specifically with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The reason for his lack of success with Rodgers is pretty clear to Williams. 

“It was cool,” Williams said of playing alongside Rodgers, via the Post-Gazette. “Going there after the ACL (injury), not having OTAs or training camp to get the chemistry right. … He’s real detailed. He likes what he likes. Me not being able to transition in as quick is probably what went wrong.”

Williams was alluding to his serious ACL injury that sidelined him for the year three games into the 2023 season. Rodgers, when asked about Williams shortly after he was traded, basically echoed what Williams said regarding the lack of chemistry between the two during their brief time as teammates.

Rodgers also spoke highly of Williams, who put up 1,000-yard receiving seasons with Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert during his time with the Chargers. 

“Mike’s a quiet guy, just kind of goes about his business,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” 

“Mike had a rough injury last year, the ACL, it’s tough to come back from. He worked his ass off all offseason. Wasn’t around for a lot of training camp; he was working on the side. But I felt like he was getting better throughout the early part of the season. Felt like his speed was getting better and he was feeling more comfortable with it. It’s a tough injury. I’ve had that injury. It’s the mental part that takes the longest. 

“Mike’s a good guy. He’ll be good in that locker room. Obviously, they have a lot of great veteran leadership. He’s had a nice career, and sometimes, a change of scenery is great for certain guys. … We kind of knew with Davante (Adams) coming in that there’d be less targets for everybody. … If this gives Mike more opportunities, that’s awesome, and we wish Mike well.” 

While things didn’t pan out with Rodgers, Williams — who celebrated his 30th birthday on Monday — said on Wednesday that he is looking forward to being on the receiving end of some “moon balls” from Russell Wilson, who has enjoyed a strong start to his time as the Steelers’ starting quarterback. 

“That’s something I’ve been good at in my career is catching that deep ball and tracking the ball,” Williams said, via 93.7 The Fan. “Coming down with a few of those, gain that trust in each other and just connect on a lot of those.”