New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers had nothing but good things to say about his former teammate Mike Williams when he reacted to the trade in real time on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. Pittsburgh Steelers sent a fifth round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Jets in exchange for Williams.

“Mike is a good guy. He’ll be fine in that locker room. They have a lot of veteran leadership,” Rodgers said. “He has had a good career. Sometimes a change of scenery is great for certain kids. … If this gives Mike more opportunities, that’s great. And we wish Mike the best.

Aaron Rodgers reacts in real time to the Mike Williams trade: pic.twitter.com/h6fBQXFrwA

—Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 5, 2024

Williams, 30, is a 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver who will immediately provide size and experience to the group of receivers who will play alongside George Pickens. On contested targets since 2018, Williams has the third-highest receiving grade (94.1), ranks second in receptions (91) and second in receiving yards (1,495), according to Pro Football Focus.

In 2021 with the Los Angeles Chargers, Williams caught 76 passes for 1,146 yards (15.1 average) and nine touchdowns. However, his production has decreased in the last two years due to injuries.

“Mike had a bad injury last year: that ACL,” Rodgers said. “It’s hard to go back. He worked in the offseason all offseason, he wasn’t around for a lot of training camp, he was working on the side. But I felt like I was getting better during the first part of the season. It seemed like his speed was improving and he felt more comfortable with it. That’s a tough injury. I had that injury. It is the mental part that takes the most time.”

Williams never developed a strong relationship with Rodgers, recording just 12 receptions for 166 yards and no touchdowns in seven games. he also got publicly called for Rodgers for running the wrong route on the play that became the game-sealing interception in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Williams was put on the trade block after the Jets landed wide receiver Davante Adams in a blockbuster trade on October 15. The Steelers were immediately interested in Williams, but those talks were put on hold around the Week 7 game between the teams at Acrisure Stadium. . Ultimately, Steelers general manager Omar Khan was able to reach a deal before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline to sign the veteran playmaker.