The Pittsburgh Steelers made two important trades before the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, adding wide receiver Mike Williams and edge rusher Preston Smith to their team.
The Steelers had been looking for a wide receiver since the offseason, so the trade for Williams wasn’t a big surprise.
The deal for Smith, however, was a little unexpected because there had been no rumors linking the Steelers to any edge rushers. Still, the trade made sense given the team’s struggles with injuries at that position this season.
Both players joined the team this week and practiced, but it’s still unclear whether they will be ready to play in Week 10. Here’s the latest update on their status.
### Will Mike Williams and Preston Smith play this week?
The Steelers haven’t confirmed if Smith or Williams will play against the Washington Commanders this week, but some insight has been shared by team reporter Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Fittipaldo, speaking on 93.7 The Fan, is confident that Smith will play because of the injury to edge rusher Nick Herbig, who was ruled out on Friday.
“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 cramming with Preston right now, getting him up to speed with the playbook.”
However, Fittipaldo is not as sure about Williams. He thinks if Williams does play, it will be in a limited role.
“Don’t have high expectations for Williams this week,” he said. “I think you’ll see that grow week-to-week. If I had to put a number on snap counts this week, If he does dress, I’m going to say 12-15.”
The Steelers were clearly in need of a wide receiver going into the trade deadline, but right now, the edge rusher position is a more immediate concern due to Herbig’s injury.
Even if Williams doesn’t play much or isn’t ready this week, he will likely get more involved as he adjusts to the team. For now, the Steelers will probably rely more on Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson, and George Pickens at wide receiver.
