The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to acquire veteran linebacker Avery Williamson from the New York Jets, pending restructuring of his contract before Tuesday's trade deadline.
Williamson is leaving the league's only remaining winless team to join up with the league's only remaining unbeaten team as the Steelers look to strengthen at the midway point of the season.
The Jets will reportedly get Pittsburgh's fifth-round draft pick in 2022 in exchange for Williamson and New York's seventh-round choice.
The deal is significant for Pittsburgh, who lost Devin Bush to a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago, and Williamson appears ticketed as his replacement.
He joins a defense that through six games allowed a league-best 286.3 yards a game, but Sunday was dented by the Baltimore Ravens for 457 yards.
For the winless Jets, the trade is just the latest move to jettison veteran contracts for draft picks. Defensive linemen Steve McLendon went to the Bucs and Jordan Wills to the 49ers previously, as New York looks to acquire even late-round picks while opening salary-cap space for the future.
Williamson joined the Jets as a free agent in 2018, and after missing all of the 2019 season with a torn ACL, he started seven games for New York this season.
He started Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and was credited with a team-high nine tackles, giving him 59 for the season.
The combination of the contract restructuring and COVID-19 protocols make it unclear whether he would be available for the Steelers on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
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