The Steelers went into the offseason with an all-or-nothing mindset of buying 49ers huge receiver Brandon Aiyuk. After months of hypothesis, he signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with San Francisco on Thursday.
That has left Pittsburgh with a really underwhelming receiving corps and a transparent void at a No. 2 huge receiver.
Listed here are 5 choices the workforce might flip to be its No. 2 choice this season.
Broad receiver Van Jefferson
Jefferson is at present slotted because the Steelers’ present No. 2 huge receiver reverse George Pickens, which suggests he’ll get the primary crack on the job.
He’s coming off arguably the worst season of his NFL profession, wherein he registered simply 20 catches for 209 yards and 0 touchdowns with the Los Angeles Rams (5 video games) and Atlanta Falcons (12 video games).
Nonetheless, Jefferson lately adopted the work regime of former seven-time Professional Bowl huge receiver Antonio Brown: Catching 300 balls after apply on daily basis.
“I simply began. The tools employees put me onto AB’s exercise when he was right here,” Jefferson mentioned. “AB was a fantastic, so why not attempt to comply with his regime?”
Solely time will inform if it pays off for Jefferson, but it surely’s now or by no means for the 28-year-old.
Tight finish Pat Freiermuth
Pittsburgh’s No. 2 main receiver by the top of the season might very nicely not be a large receiver.
Freiermuth, a second-round decide in 2021, is coming off a career-low 32 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, however that was in simply 12 video games as he battled a nagging hamstring harm.
He’s now totally wholesome and may play a major function in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense, which has been described as tight-end pleasant all offseason.
“I feel it has been nice,” Freiermuth mentioned. “The schemes that we’re being requested to do have been nice. I feel it suits a whole lot of us, and we’re all simply excited to exit and execute.”
Broad receiver John Metchie III, Houston Texans
Simply because the Steelers have introduced their preliminary 53-man roster does not imply they nonetheless cannot commerce for a large receiver.
On Monday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that “a number of groups” have reached out to the Texans to see if Metchie III can be obtainable in a commerce attributable to their roster’s plethora of receivers.
It could be stunning if Pittsburgh weren’t a kind of groups, and now that Aiyuk is off the desk, it might look to revisit with Houston.
The begin to the 24-year-old’s NFL profession has been unideal, lacking his complete rookie 12 months after being recognized with acute promyelocytic leukemia after which registering simply 16 catches for 158 yards in his return final season.
Nonetheless, Metchie III flashed his second-round upside all through the preseason, reeling in 10 catches for 100 yards and a landing.
There may be nonetheless a lot to find out about Metchie III, but it surely’s not tough to argue that he can be the Steelers’ second-best choice.
Broad receiver Roman Wilson
Pittsburgh is arguably the perfect workforce at drafting huge receivers, which is why it might sooner slightly than later flip to Wilson, its third-round decide (No. 84) within the 2024 NFL Draft.
Wilson has been sidelined for a lot of the preseason since struggling an ankle harm through the first week of coaching camp, however he’s nearing his return and has taken benefit of his psychological reps whereas injured.
“So much truly,” Wilson mentioned. “Actually dissecting the sport, dissecting a whole lot of routes. Loads of completely different receivers across the league, specializing in a whole lot of guys that I wish to emulate. Studying from the opposite receivers right here.”
When Wilson returns, if he proves up to the mark on the offense, he’ll solely must translate it to the sector.
Broad receiver Michael Thomas, free agent
There is not a lot left on the open market, however Thomas is by far essentially the most intriguing.
The 2019 NFL Offensive Participant of the Yr was as soon as the most effective huge receivers within the league, however accidents have plagued the backend of his profession.
The 31-year-old has performed in simply 20 video games the previous 4 seasons, reeling in 95 catches for 1,057 yards and 4 touchdowns through the span.
The New Orleans Saints launched Thomas in March, and he’s looking for his subsequent alternative. With most of their different choices dried up, the Steelers could possibly be precisely that.