Avery Williamson preparing for whatever role Steelers give him against Bengals

For Avery Williamson, the emotion he experienced Sunday could be considered uncharted territory in 2020.

For the first time this season, the veteran linebacker got to celebrate a victory — even if he had nothing to do with it.

A day after officially joining the Pittsburgh Steelers, Williamson watched his new team improve to 8-0 with a 24-19 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. It was quite the change in atmosphere considering Williamson was playing for the winless New York Jets a week earlier.

“Getting that first win Sunday, even though I wasn’t able to contribute physically, still it was fun,” Williamson said Thursday in his first video conference interview since joining the Steelers. “I hadn’t won in a while. It’s definitely good to be in a winning locker room and to be a part of a celebration from a win.”

Because Williamson had to undergo five days of covid-19 testing after the trade, he was unable to practice with his new team last week, which is why he never left the sideline against the Cowboys. Although he was on the gameday roster, Williamson was available only in case of injury.

The circumstances will be different this week. Not only is Williamson expected to play against the Cincinnati Bengals, he could get significant snaps. Vince Williams, the most experienced of the Steelers starting inside linebackers, is on the reserve/covid-19 list and won’t be permitted to rejoin the team until at least Saturday.

If Williams isn’t cleared, the Steelers would go into the game with Robert Spillane making his fourth NFL start alongside Williamson, who will have had just three days of practice with his new team.

“He’s going to have to be ready for us,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said.

The Steelers were hoping to ease Williamson into the lineup while he gains familiarity with the defensive terminology. Against the Bengals, that may not be possible.

“It’s a tough situation,” Williamson said. “Hopefully, Vince is going to be out there with us this week. But this is what we’ve got to deal with these days. I’m just trying to learn as much as possible and see what happens this weekend.

“That’s all we can do.”

Before he joined the Jets in 2018, Williamson spent four years with the Tennessee Titans with Dick LeBeau serving as his defensive coordinator for the final three seasons. With Butler continuing to use many of LeBeau’s schemes, the Steelers defense isn’t foreign to Williamson.

“It’s got some similarities,” he said. “I’m definitely learning on the fly, but I’m picking up on it pretty good. The coaches and players are doing a good job of feeding me as much information as possible and helping me out.

“I’m bringing them as many questions as possible so I can play fast whenever I’m in a game.”