Steelers Now
In a corresponding move to the Pittsburgh Steelers signing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling from their practice squad to their active roster, the team has released wide receiver/return man Ke’Shawn Williams.
Williams was active for eight games this year. He recorded no receptions, serving mostly as a punt and kick returner. He returned 11 punts for 112 yards (10.2 average), while he returned 18 kickoffs for 425 yards (23.6 average).
With veteran receivers Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen now in the fold, Williams’ worth fell out of favor. He did not provide much as a receiver.
Williams, an undrafted rookie out of Indiana, made it to the final cuts before the Steelers finally placed him on waivers, an upset for the unheralded prospect. He re-signed with the practice squad shortly after.
Williams had a strong preseason, finishing third on the team with 86 receiving yards, taking full advantage of his four targets. He also returned punts, bringing back nine kicks for 70 yards.
A 5-foot-9, 188-pound receiver, Williams’ case for making the team in a talent-needy wide receiver room may have been harmed by the similarity of his skillset to the team’s existing undersized receivers and kick returners: Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller and Roman Wilson. Despite his size, three-quarters of Williams’ preseason reps came at outside receiver, emphasizing the team’s need in that area.
Though small, Williams posted a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and an impressive 39-inch vertical during pre-draft testing for a 5.62 Relative Athletic Score.
A Philadelphia native, Williams spent just one season at Indiana, when he caught 39 passes for 448 yards and five touchdowns. His best receiving total came in 2022, one of his four years at Wake Forest, when he had 39 catches for 553 yards and one score.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Cut Ties with Explosive Rookie WR
