Insider Reveals Why Steelers ‘Were Afraid’ to Trade for 2-Time Pro Bowl WR

The Pittsburgh Steelers have endured their fair share of criticism from the fanbase ahead of Week 18, and veteran beat reporter Mark Kaboly piled on a bit on December 30, reminding Yinzer nation of a key trade deadline decision that has gone very wrong.

“The one thing you can be critical of the Steelers [for] is not trading for Adam Thielen when they had a chance to at the deadline instead of going with [Mike] Williams,” Kaboly told a fan after responding to their mailbag question.

“They were afraid of Thielen’s age and hamstring,” the Steelers insider revealed. Adding: “Over the past five weeks, Thielen has 32 catches for 405 yards and five touchdowns. Think the Steelers could’ve used him?”

As Kaboly noted, the two-time Pro Bowl WR was recovering from a hamstring injury going into the trade deadline, but he appeared to be on the mend. Considering Pittsburgh barely played Williams after acquiring him, they could have certainly made a move for Thielen — even if he was unavailable for a week or so.

At the time, Thielen even felt like the perfect fit for the Steelers.

“The [Carolina] Panthers already dealt one receiver when they traded [Diontae] Johnson to the [Baltimore] Ravens,” The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo wrote on October 31. “Perhaps they’d be willing to part with another in Adam Thielen.”

“At 34 years old with one year remaining on his deal, he’s not considered the deep threat he was earlier in his career. But he’s still coming off of a 100-catch, 1,000-yard season and could provide a veteran voice to a young and inexperienced Steelers room,” the reporter reasoned at the time.

In the end, the Steelers chose Williams.

Mike Williams Has Contributed 8 Catches for 107 Yards Since Joining Steelers

Ironically, Williams’ most impactful catch since joining the Steelers has been his first one. Just after the trade in Week 10, the veteran wideout entered the Washington Commanders matchup late in the game as an injury replacement.

Williams was only on the field for nine offensive snaps, but it was enough for him to connect with quarterback Russell Wilson on a game-winning 32-yard touchdown grab.

In that moment, the Williams trade had the appearance of a smashing success, but it’s been all downhill from there.

As a member of the Steelers, Williams has only accumulated 8 receptions for 107 yards and the lone touchdown versus the Commanders. He’s been targeted 12 times.

To be fair, part of the problem is that Williams hasn’t gotten much burn. He’s appeared on just 29% of offensive snaps according to Pro Football Reference — which comes out to 157 offensive snaps in 8 appearances.

He’s also been very lackluster when on the field, and in hindsight, there’s little doubt that Thielen would have been the much more impactful addition at the trade deadline.

Kaboly Says Steelers Should ‘Look to Trade’ George Pickens This Offseason If They Don’t Plan on Extending Him

The Thielen critique came during the second half of a much longer response within Kaboly’s mailbag — and it involved potentially trading away George Pickens this offseason. Below was the exchange.

Fan question: “The wide receiver room has been a concern this year, especially in George Pickens’ absence. We traded for Mike Williams, and he’s only seen 12 targets and limited snaps. Where do you think they go in the offseason to improve?”

Kaboly: “They have to decide if they want to extend Pickens. In my opinion, if they have no intentions to sign him long-term, I’d look to trade him in the offseason. Who knows if that would be their plan or not? They need to upgrade the receiver position regardless of whether Pickens is on the team or not. The one thing you can be critical of the Steelers is not trading for Adam Thielen…”

At that point, Kaboly went into the Thielen portion of his answer — which we discussed above — but the Pickens debate is interesting too.

It’s been a roller coaster season for Pickens filled with spectacular catches, mind-numbing penalties and a multi-week injury absence. And although Wilson and head coach Mike Tomlin have mostly backed the youngster publicly at every turn, you have to wonder if his antics and his lack of maturity might cause Pittsburgh to seriously consider Kaboly’s suggestion — especially if they could get a lot for him via trade.

Pickens is going to cost a pretty penny to extend, and the Steelers have a knack for drafting and developing wide receivers. With all that in mind, it’s possible that they choose to sell high on the 23-year-old.