The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired two new reinforcements before the 2024 NFL trade deadline — wide receiver Mike Williams and outside linebacker Preston Smith.
In order to transfer both additions onto the 53-man roster, they had to cut one player. In the end, tight end/special teamer Rodney Williams was the odd man out.
“After acquiring two veterans via trade at the deadline, the Steelers are waiving TE Rodney Williams, per source,” NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero informed on November 5.
Not long after, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat reporter Ray Fittipaldo confirmed this news, while also adding a note about Williams’ future.
“I would expect [Williams is] back on the practice squad if no other team claims him,” Fittipaldo predicted. “The Steelers like him as a special-teams player. They had been carrying five [tight ends].”
Williams began his NFL career with the Denver Broncos, entering the league as an undrafted free agent. He was eventually cut by the Broncos during his rookie training camp, however, and the Steelers picked him up in September of 2022.
With Pittsburgh, Williams has appeared in 19 regular season games and one playoff outing. Over that span, he’s logged 294 special teams snaps and another 60 on offense.
Pro Football Focus grades Williams as a slightly above average special teamer throughout his career. He’s earned ST marks of 67.9 in 2023 and 66.6 in 2024.
Steelers Cut WR Andy Isabella & LB Craig Young From Practice Squad
Along with the Williams move, the Steelers’ X account revealed that the team made two more cuts on November 5. Only these players were released off the practice squad, not the active roster.
“The Steelers also released tight end Rodney Williams from the 53-man roster and receiver Andy Isabella and linebacker Craig Young from the practice squad,” team reporter Teresa Varley relayed with Steelers.com.
Isabella is a former second-round talent that has bounced around the league for much of his career. His brief stop with the Steelers was particularly short, considering he only joined the Pittsburgh practice squad on October 25.
In 43 regular season games and three playoff outings, Isabella has recorded 33 receptions for 447 yards and 3 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 10 yards on 6 carries and averaged 21.2 yards per kick return. Isabella spent the majority of his playing career with the Arizona Cardinals.
Young was with the Steelers a little bit longer than Isabella. He signed with the practice squad on October 16 but — like his fellow departure — there’s not much use for him as depth after trade deadline day.
Pittsburgh traded for a wide receiver and an outside linebacker, and they will release a wide receiver and an outside linebacker. That’s no coincidence.
Young is a 23-year-old undrafted rookie that has yet to appear in an NFL game. Per Steelers Depot, he spent the summer with the Indianapolis Colts before ending up with the Steelers.
After the trade deadline had come and gone, The Athletic released grades for each move that occurred — including the Steelers’ deal for Smith.
“The Steelers boast one of the NFL’s best starting pass rush tandems in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, and they also have a promising up-and-coming OLB in second-year pro Nick Herbig,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe detailed on November 5. “However, finding a quality fourth edge rusher has been a challenge. Markus Golden retired during training camp before DeMarvin Leal was lost for the season with a neck injury.”
Howe also noted Herbig’s ongoing injury recovery and a general lack of quality depth behind Watt and Highsmith without him.
“By bringing in a 6-5, 265-pound veteran, the Steelers not only rounded out the room but also gave themselves a bigger-bodied option to defend the run,” the reporter continued. From a Green Bay Packers perspective, he also pointed out that Smith “hasn’t produced at the same levels he did in the past.”
“[Smith] has just 2.5 sacks this year and ranks 143rd in pressure rate among players with at least 100 pass-rush snaps, according to TruMedia — and he was going to be a cut candidate this offseason,” Howe explained.
Steelers beat reporter and colleague Mike DeFabo then weighed in after Howe, grading the trade as a “B+” for Pittsburgh.
“Set to turn 32 on Nov. 17, Smith might not be in his prime. But as a depth piece, the Steelers also won’t be asking him to be,” DeFabo wrote. “He fills an important roster spot for a defense predicated upon pressure, and he won’t break the bank, as Pittsburgh only had to part with one of their three 2025 seventh-round picks to make the deal.”
The beat writer concluded that “given the price tag, this trade has plenty of upside and minimal risk.”
