The Pittsburgh Steelers made the expected acquisition of a veteran receiver ahead of the NFL's trade deadline, trading for former New York Jets wideout Mike Williams. Pittsburgh then surprised many when they traded for former Green Bay Packers edge rusher Preston Smith,

Following his first practice in Pittsburgh, Smith met with the media and revealed that he had requested a trade out of Green Bay—and that the Packers' front office had complied with his request. Kevin Gorman of Tribune-Review Sports shared video of Smith's media session.

Preston Smith said he requested a trade and wanted to go back to the 3-4 defense before the Packers dealt him to the Steelers.