The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots on Tuesday night. But if the Steelers are open to more trading, could they be a potential fit for a massive move for a lineman such as Quinnen Williams before the NFL trade deadline next week?
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox argued the Steelers could be. Knox named the team one of two potential suitors for Williams, who made first-team All-Pro in 2022.
“A three-time Pro Bowler with 40 sacks on his NFL resume, Williams is the sort of player who would land the Jets premium draft capital that could be used to chase a quarterback in 2026,” Knox wrote. “He won’t turn 28 until December, and he’s under contract through 2027.”
Williams has posted 32 combined tackles, including seven tackles for loss in eight games this season. He also has three forced fumbles, three quarterback hits and a sack.
However, the New York Jets defensive lineman wouldn’t come cheaply. Knox argued any trade proposal for Williams should begin with a 2026 first-round pick.
That’s why pundits are likely to see any move to acquire the Jets defensive lineman as a “blockbuster.”
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 4.
How Quinnen Williams Could Fit With the Steelers
The Steelers saw first hand the kind of impact Williams can make. In Week 1 versus the Steelers, Williams registered three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, and one sack.
That’s the biggest impact the Jets defensive lineman has had on a game this season.
The Steelers offensive line had a slow start to the season, and it’s possible Williams’ big season opener was partly due to poor technique from Broderick Jones. The Steelers shouldn’t acquire Williams just because of what he did against them.
Having said that, according to the Pro Football Focus player grades, the 27-year-old has been the Jets’ best defender in 2025. He’s also been one of the top run defenders in the league this season.
The Steelers’ biggest defensive problem has been in pass coverage. But improving in run defense could help the unit dedicate more defenders against the pass.
At the very least, if Williams helped the Steelers shut down the run, Pittsburgh opponents would be one-dimensional.
Williams could improve the Steelers pass rush as well. He has recorded at least 5.5 sacks in each season since 2020.
Why the Steelers Shouldn’t Acquire Williams
Age hasn’t been a big concern for the Steelers while they’ve tried to find defensive improvements over the past couple years. But at some point, it has to become a concern.
While Williams is still on the right side of 30 (he turns 28 in December), he could be closer to his decline than his peak.
The Steelers defense arguably already has too many of those types of players. The unit has a lot of former All-Pros who aren’t playing at that level anymore in 2025. That’s likely due to age.
If this were the first veteran the Steelers were adding to their defense in quite some time, it wouldn’t be a big concern. But he’s not.
Trading a first-round pick and more selections would also very likely rule out the Steelers finding a future franchise quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In March, the Steelers would still have Williams but potentially no quarterback if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return.
Williams could be just the defensive lineman to fix multiple issues for the Steelers defense in 2025. But the team needs a youth movement along the defensive front, and adding Williams would come with just too big of a mortgage to be a good idea.
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