### Veteran Pass Rusher Preston Smith Embraces New Opportunity with Steelers

PITTSBURGH – Preston Smith, a seasoned pass rusher, was quick to embrace his transfer from Green Bay to Pittsburgh, a move he himself had anticipated. Speaking on Wednesday, Smith revealed he had requested the trade several weeks ago, seeking a defensive system more aligned with his playing style.

"I didn't feel like I was being useful in the system, and it wasn't catering to my play style and moving forward," said Smith. "I wasn't surprised when I got the call. I got what I asked for, and I'm at a place that – a great place – with some great teammates, and I'm excited about the new start and journey for this season."

Smith found himself caught in a scheme change when the Packers, under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, transitioned from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense. This change moved Smith from his natural position as an outside linebacker to a defensive end, a role he found less suitable despite recording impressive sack counts between 2021 and 2023.

His comfort was evident after his first day of practice with the Steelers, who utilize a familiar 3-4 system, reflecting his preference and experience.

"It's what I was comfortable playing in, and what I got used to playing in the previous nine seasons," Smith stated. "So just being back in that system, it's like riding your favorite bike again."

The exact impact of Smith and another trade acquisition, Mike Williams, for the upcoming game against the Commanders remains to be determined. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin emphasized the importance of their ability to quickly learn and adapt to the team's playbook and physical demands.

While the Steelers’ pass rush already boasts stars like T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, along with rising talent Nick Herbig, Smith is keen to support his new teammates without concerns about playtime.

"Man, I'm just here to embrace my role to help those guys out as much as I can," he said. "If they need a break, I'm going to be there for them to get a break, whatever the rotation may be. I'm here to accept my role and contribute in the best way possible."

Smith did acknowledge a downside of the timing of his trade – losing his break. Initially looking forward to Green Bay's bye week, Smith now faces playing every game in the regular-season weeks due to the Steelers just coming off their bye week.

"It could have been any team," he remarked. "But I was also kind of sad, because they were just coming off the bye, and I was on a bye, and so I had to go back to work and now I don't get a bye anymore. But I'm excited to be here. I'm ready to play. I'm ready to ball out."

Similarly, Mike Williams, who was acquired from the Jets, faces the prospect of missing his planned bye week in Week 12. Instead, he'll be playing against the Cleveland Browns in a Thursday night matchup. Williams, with just a 10.1% target rate on his routes, sees this trade as an opportunity for a bigger role.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity," said Williams, who also took first-team reps in practice. "I'm a playmaker. I want to make plays. I want to get the ops. But I'm going to go out here, work and show that I deserve to be on the field."

Williams is particularly excited about meshing with quarterback Russell Wilson, known for his accurate deep passes. "Hell yeah," Williams responded when asked about catching deep passes from Wilson. "That's something I've been good at also in my career, was catching that deep ball and tracking the ball. So come down with a few of those, gain that trust in each other and just connect on a lot of those."

With both Smith and Williams eager to contribute to their new teams, the Steelers and their fans have much to look forward to for the remainder of the season.