When Avery Williamson was a free agent following the 2017 season, the former Titans inside linebacker thought the Steelers might be a team that would show some interest in him.
After all, the Steelers had just lost inside linebacker Ryan Shazier to a spinal cord injury and were looking for someone to help replace the former Pro Bowl star.
But Williamson signed with the Jets on a three-year, $22.5 million contract, and the Steelers decided to add veteran Jon Bostic on a two-year deal worth significantly less, $4 million.
As it turned out, you get what you pay for. The Steelers moved on from Bostic after the 2018 season, while Williamson posted 120 tackles, three sacks and an interception for the Jets that year.
Fast forward to 2020 and Williamson is now a member of the Steelers, acquired in a trade last week along with a 2022 seventh-round draft pick for a 2022 fifth-round selection.
It's funny how things work out.
"I don’t think they were in the mix. I was definitely hoping for an opportunity to come here. It didn’t happen, but I would have been super happy if I had the opportunity," Williamson said Thursday after his second practice with his new team. "Hey, I got my shot now and it’s the perfect time to be on this team. I’m happy to try to take advantage of it the opportunity."
The opportunity is a big one. The Steelers take an 8-0 record into Sunday's game at Heinz Field against the Bengals (2-5-1). Williamson's former team, the Jets, are off to an 0-9 start and likely headed toward a complete rebuild.
Williamson joined the Steelers last Saturday after going through COVID-19 testing all week. But a player picking up 15 games in the standings -- prior to last week's games -- has likely never happened with an NFL trade deadline deal.
That's why Williamson was so happy to come over to his new team.
"It’s all about winning from the top down," Williamson said of the Steelers. "The level of talent in the building, we’ve got some monsters up front on the d-line. It’s definitely great when you’ve got guys like that in front of you to keep those offensive linemen off of you. It’s a winning mentality and every day is focused on winning. And we’re getting the results. It’s cool and fun. It’s a rich tradition. They’ve got a lot of pride in this building. I’m excited to be a part of it."
How much he'll be a part of it remains to be seen. The Steelers felt the need to acquire Williamson because of an injury to Shazier's eventual replacement, second-year pro Devin Bush. Bush, the 10th pick in last year's draft, suffered a season-ending ACL tear three weeks ago in a win over the Browns.
Former practice squad player Robert Spillane has started in place of Bush next to veteran Vince Williams. But this week, Williams was placed on the reserve/COVID list because of close contact with tight end Vance McDonald, who tested positive for the virus after the Steelers' 24-19 win last Sunday over the Cowboys.
Williams could be cleared to return to the Steelers on Saturday, but his absence has given Williamson an opportunity to get more snaps in practice this week with Spillane.
"He’s going to have to be ready for us. Vince is out this week, but we expect Vince to come ready to play," defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. "Vince has a lot of experience, so I’m not worried about him missing the time because he has plenty of mental reps watching the practice and stuff like that in terms of what we want him to do. I’m not worried about Vince. Avery has done a good job for us. He is still learning. We are going to try and get as many reps for him as we can and let him continue to learn. I think he will help us."
How much remains to be seen.
A fifth-round pick out of Kentucky by the Titans in 2014, Williamson has essentially been a starter since his rookie season. He has appeared in 86 career games, starting 81 of them, and recorded 555 tackles and 14.5 sacks along with four interceptions. He missed the 2019 season with a knee injury.
And while with the Titans, he worked in a scheme coordinated by former Steelers defensive assistants Dick LeBeau and Ray Horton. Much of what the Steelers do defensively harkens back in some form or another to LeBeau's defensive schemes.
"It’s got some similarities, so I’m definitely learning on the fly," Williamson said. "I’m picking up on it pretty good. The coaches and players are doing a good job of getting me as much information as possible and helping me out. I’m bringing them as many questions as possible, as well, so I can play fast when I’m in the game."
And get more wins. After missing that 2019 season and going winless in his first seven games with the Jets, Williamson hadn't experienced a victory since Week 13 of the 2018 season until being with the Steelers on the sideline last week in their win over the Cowboys.
Going nearly two years without experiencing a victory certainly can increase your hunger for such things.
"When you’re losing, you can definitely have a lot of different emotions," he said. "Coming here, getting that first win on Sunday, even though I wasn’t able to contribute physically, it’s fun. I hadn’t won in a while, so it was definitely cool to be in a winning locker room and be a part of a celebration of a win."