Assuming WR Mike Williams puts on his pads for Week 18’s regular season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, he’ll become just the second player since post-Great Depression to play in 18 in a single year.
It’s something we noted way back when Williams and EDGE Preston Smith were acquired at the trade deadline. The league’s relatively new 18-week, 17-game schedule made playing in 18 games even possible since football’s earliest days. Quirks in their schedules, Williams’ Jets and Smith’s Packers had to yet enjoy their bye while Pittsburgh had passed theirs, opened the door for 18 appearances to be possible.