The Pittsburgh Steelers has made two key additions to their roster ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, with the team trading for wide receiver Mike Williams and edge rusher Preston Smith.
The Steelers were looking to add a wide receiver this offseason, so the trade wasn’t a surprise.
But the deal for Smith was at least somewhat surprising, as the Steelers had not been rumored to be associated with edge rushers. However, the move was understandable considering Pittsburgh’s injuries at the position this season.
Both players joined the Steelers this week and were able to participate in practice, but it remains to be seen if they acclimate quickly enough to make their respective Steelers debuts in Week 10. Here’s the latest on that front.
Are Mike Williams and Preston Smith playing this week?
Although the Steelers have not confirmed whether or not Smith or Williams will play against the this week Washington commanderswe got some insight from one of the team’s beat writers.
According to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette during an appearance on The PM team at 93.7 The FanHe is confident Smith will play because of the injury to edge rusher Nick Herbig, who was Friday excluded.
“I think Preston Smith is in a different situation because I don’t expect Nick Herbig to play,” Fittipaldo said. “So I think they’re probably working on Preston right now, getting him up to speed on the playbook.”
As for Williams, Fittipaldo isn’t too confident and says if the veteran wideout suits up, he will be limited.
“Don’t have high expectations for Williams this week,” he added. “I think you’ll see that grow from week to week. If I had to put a number on the counts this week, if he does get dressed, I’d say 12 to 15.”
While wide receiver was clearly the glaring need for the Steelers heading into the trade deadline, edge rusher is currently a more immediate need due to Herbig’s absence.
Even if he is limited or doesn’t play at all this week, Williams will certainly get more involved as he gets more settled. But for now, expect the Steelers to lean more on Calvin Austin and Van Jefferson, along with George Pickens.
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