‘I thought I was dreaming’: NFL Tiger talks about being traded

Mike Williams thought he was dreaming as he slept and his phone started buzzing Tuesday as his agent tried to let him know he was being traded before the NFL trade deadline.

As it turns out, it wasn’t a dream but a reality for the former Clemson star and longtime NFL wideout, who was dealt from the New York Jets to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday for a 2025 fifth-round draft pick.

“I was sleeping. I felt like my phone was vibrating, but I thought I was dreaming,” Williams said told reporters Wednesday. “It was like five missed calls from my agent, and then the GM of the Jets (Joe Douglas) called me and told me about the trade. So yeah, excited about the opportunity, happy to be here, looking forward and ready to get this thing going.

Before Williams was shipped to Pittsburgh, he was in his first season with the Jets. He signed a one-year contract with the Jets in March after being released by the Los Angeles Chargers.

According to Williams, the Steelers were on his radar during free agency before he ultimately ended up with the Jets.

“I actually had a meeting scheduled here, but the Jets were the first meeting and I didn’t leave the building, so that’s how it went,” he said. “But I’m here now and I’m excited about it.”

Prior to this season, Williams, 30, spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Chargers, making him the seventh overall selection in the 2017 draft.

One of the NFL’s most dynamic and explosive wide receivers, Williams recorded 19 receptions for 249 yards and one touchdown for the Chargers in 2023 before his season was cut short by a torn ACL.

How would Williams describe what his brief stint in New York was like with Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers?

“It was cool,” Williams said. “Obviously we’re going to go there after (the ACL injury), not have OTAs, training camp, all that to get the chemistry right with Aaron and that – he’s very detail-oriented, likes what he wants. So I feel like I can’t get in there and switching so quickly is probably what went wrong.

Williams has battled injuries throughout his time in the league, but is feeling healthy again and has fully recovered from last year’s season-ending ACL injury.

‘I’m doing well. I’m ready to go,” he said. “I’m ready to get out here and make plays.”

After finishing his Clemson career as one of the most decorated wide receivers in school history – he left Clemson ranked third in school history in receiving touchdowns (21), fourth in receiving yards (2,727) and fifth in receptions (177) – Williams has Together they have put together a very productive NFL career as they have collected 321 catches for 4,972 yards and 31 touchdowns in 97 career games to date.

Williams is excited about the opportunity that awaits him in his new NFL home in Steel City.

“I’m looking forward to this opportunity,” he said. “I am a playmaker. I want to make plays, I want to get the ops. But I’m going to come here, work and show that I deserve to be on the field.”

–Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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