It’s been a rather busy, productive offseason to date for the Pittsburgh Steelers under GM Omar Khan. The roster, from top to bottom, looks a lot different than what it did at the end of the season following a loss to in Buffalo in the Wild Card Round.
That was expected, of course. However, what Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl have done in just a little over a week has been remarkable. The Steelers have completely reshaped the quarterback room, bringing in Russell Wilson in free agency and Justin Fields via trade after cutting Mitch Trubisky, trading Kenny Pickett and letting Mason Rudolph walk in free agency.
The Steelers also plugged a major hole on defense at inside linebacker, stealing Patrick Queen away from the rival Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh also seemingly found an answer to the woes at punter, signing veteran Cameron Johnston.
There was also the trade of wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson, plugging a hole at cornerback.
But in the flurry of moves and overall wheeling and dealing, one Steelers move is seemingly forgotten about, which has it labeled as the team’s most underrated move of the offseason.
According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, that move is signing veteran receiver Van Jefferson in free agency.
“After trading away Diontae Johnson and cutting Allen Robinson II, the team needed to refill the wide receiver room around George Pickens,” Pryor writes regarding the Jefferson signing. “Jefferson didn’t light the world on fire with his numbers last season, but he spent half the year in Atlanta with new OC Arthur Smith and the familiarity with his scheme should give the offense a steady contributor both in the pass game and run game as a blocker. Plus, Jefferson was a major part of the L.A. Rams’ Super Bowl season with 50 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns.”
Jefferson was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Atlanta Falcons midway through the 2023 season, a year in which he fell behind standout rookie receiver Puca Nacua, leading to less snaps and targets. During his time in Los Angeles last season, Jefferson had just eight receptions for 104 yards on 12 targets in the first five games of 2023.
He was flipped to the Falcons for a late-round pick swap, giving him an opportunity at more consistent playing time and targets in Atlanta, where he played under current Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
In 12 games with the Falcons, Jefferson had 12 receptions for 101 yards on 28 targets. He played 356 offensive snaps for Atlanta, accounting for 46% of the snaps in that span.
For his career, Jefferson has 113 receptions for 1,600 yards and 10 touchdowns. His best season came in 2021 when the Rams made a run to the Super Bowl. That year, Jefferson hauled in 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns in the regular season, adding another nine receptions for 102 yards in the playoffs.
In Super Bowl LVI, a game during which his wife went into labor, Jefferson had four receptions for 23 yards, helping the Rams win, 23-20.
Now, Jefferson is aiming to not only stay healthy but see the field in a more consistent fashion compared to the last two seasons. He reunites with Smith in Pittsburgh and will provide key depth and a deep-ball ability to the Steelers’ receiver room behind George Pickens. Though the Steelers aren’t likely to run many three- and four-receiver sets under Smith in 2024, Jefferson’s presence is a bit comforting right now considering the overall need at the position.
