Aaron Rodgers reacts to the Mike Williams trade live on the Pat McAfee Show

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was live on ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show" when the news dropped that his team traded away one of its veteran receivers.

On Tuesday, New York sent wideout Mike Williams to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth-round pick. The 30-year-old failed to build chemistry with his quarterback in the early parts of the season after he signed with the Jets as a free agent.

During a Week 6 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Williams ran an incorrect route, which led to a Rodgers interception. After the game, the quarterback called out the veteran receiver for the result of the play.

The Jets traded for receiver Davante Adams the next day, and Williams' role in the offense was even further diminished.

On Tuesday's program, Rodgers alluded to Adams' arrival and Williams' resulting decrease in targets as a reason the Jets were ready to move on from the eighth-year receiver.

"Mike's [Williams] a quiet guy. Just kind of goes about his business. Mike had a rough injury last year – the ACL – that's tough to come back from, and he worked his ass off all offseason. Wasn't around for a lot of training camp; he was working on the side," Rodgers said. "But I felt like he was getting better throughout the early part of the season. It felt like his speed was getting better and he was getting more comfortable with it.

"Mike's a good guy. He'll be good in that locker room, obviously a lot of great, veteran leadership. He's had a nice career. And sometimes a change of scenery is great for certain guys," he continued. "It was great for me, kind of fun getting re-enthused.

"We kind of knew with Davante [Adams] coming in that there would be less targets for everybody. G (Garrett Wilson) is leading the league in targets, he's gonna get his targets, and Te (Adams) is a dynamic player, he's getting his targets. So if this gives Mike more opportunities, that's awesome, and I wish Mike well."

Mike Williams trade details

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Steelers sent the Jets their 2025 fifth-round pick for the wideout on Tuesday. Pittsburgh had reportedly been looking to acquire a receiver ahead of the NFL trade deadline and made the move for Williams Tuesday afternoon.

The trade news was confirmed by USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon.

Mike Williams stats

In 2024, here's how Williams' stats look through nine weeks:

• Targets: 21

• Receptions: 12

• Receiving yards: 166

• Yards per reception: 13.8

• Receiving touchdowns: 0

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Williams trade: Aaron Rodgers reacts live on Pat McAfee Show