The Steelers are still looking to establish who their No. 2 wide receiver opposite George Pickens will be.
That player could come in the form of a trade acquisition as Pittsburgh as been subject to trade rumors all offseason, but until that happens, fifth-year wide receiver Van Jefferson thinks it can be him.
“I just think that I bring confidence. I’m confident in my ability, confident in what I can do,” Jefferson said. “Whatever happens, I’m just going to work and that’s all I can do.”
Jefferson, 28, is coming off arguably his worst season since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2020. He registered just 20 catches for 209 yards and zero touchdowns with the Los Angeles Rams (five games) and Atlanta Falcons (12 games).
However, he recently adopted the work regime of former seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown: Catching 300 balls after practice every day.
“I just started. The equipment staff put me onto AB’s workout when he was here,” Jefferson added. “AB was a great so why not try to follow his regime?”
Brown’s nine-year stint with the Steelers didn’t end how many would have likely imagined, but he was one of the hardest workers and best receivers in the NFL during that time. From 2010-18, Brown amassed 837 catches for 11,207 yards and 74 touchdowns.
Jefferson knows catching 300 balls won’t make him produce like Brown alone, but he wants to set himself up to be the best player he can be.
“When you put the work in, it doesn’t guarantee anything,” Jefferson stated. “At the end of the day, you may as well put in work to at least give yourself the best shot of something happening.”
Only time will tell if it will be enough for Pittsburgh to hand him the No. 2 role opposite Pickens and hold off from acquiring another playmaker, but Jefferson is focused on proving that every day.
“I just gotta prove my consistency, just prove I can come out here and do this on a daily basis,” Jefferson finished. “At the end of the day, it’s just coming out here and competing, doing the best that I can.”
