Titans' Van Jefferson: Season-best numbers in loss
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Jefferson secured four of six targets for 75 yards during Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Raiders.
Jefferson recorded more offensive yardage in Week 6 than during the prior five games his year combined, as he played a season-high 75 percent of the offensive snaps. His increased involvement came as the result of Calvin Ridley (hamstring) being forced off the field early in the first quarter. If Ridley is limited or unable to play in Week 7 versus the Patriots then Jefferson, rookie fourth-rounder wideout Elic Ayomanor and tight end Chig Okonkwo could all benefit from an uptick in target share.
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Titans' Van Jefferson: Set to play Sunday
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Jefferson (ankle) is active for Sunday's Week 6 matchup against Las Vegas.
Jefferson managed an ankle injury throughout the week and was deemed questionable on Friday's final injury report. However, the veteran wideout has progressed enough to suit up Sunday. Jefferson has played a minor role in Tennessee's air attack this season, tallying four catches on four targets for 24 yards through five games.
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Titans' Van Jefferson: Questionable to face LV
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Jefferson (ankle) was a full participant in Friday's practice but is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Raiders, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Jefferson appeared to pick up an ankle injury during the Titans' Week 5 win over the Cardinals. He steadily upgraded his practice participation after sitting out of Wednesday's session, but his official status for Sunday's contest may not be known until the Titans announce their list of inactive players approximately 90 minutes prior to the 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. With Bryce Oliver (knee) already ruled out, the Titans could elevate Mason Kinsey, James Proche or undrafted rookie Xavier Restrepo from the practice squad to the active roster if Jefferson is unable to play.
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Titans' Van Jefferson: Limited practice Thursday
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Jefferson (ankle) practiced in limited fashion Thursday.
Jefferson was unable to practice in any capacity Wednesday, so his activity Thursday was a step in the right direction. There should be a clearer picture of his potential availability for a Week 6 matchup against Las Vegas on Friday, depending on whether he can avoid an injury designation.
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Titans' Van Jefferson: Dealing with ankle injury
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Jefferson (ankle) did not practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Jefferson played a season-low 12 offensive snaps (18 percent) in Tennessee's Week 6 win over Arizona, but that may have been caused by his ankle injury. He'll have two more chances to practice and clarify his status ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Raiders.
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Titans' Van Jefferson: Decreased role in Week 5
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Jefferson wasn't targeted in Sunday's 22-21 win over the Cardinals.
Jefferson was on the field for a season-low 12 offensive snaps (18 percent). He wasn't targeted for the second time this season and has yet to surpass 10 yards from scrimmage in any game.
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Titans' Van Jefferson: One reception in Week 4
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Jefferson recorded one catch on one target for six yards in Sunday's 26-0 loss to the Texans.
Jefferson played a season-high 41 percent of offensive snaps, though it translated to just one target. He has one or fewer targets in three of four games this season and is not on the fantasy radar.
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Titans' Van Jefferson: Lands one-year contract
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Jefferson and the Titans reached agreement Wednesday on a one-year, $2.5 million contract, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.
The modest salary suggests Jefferson will need to compete for a depth job and may not even be assured of a roster spot. He'll be on his fourth team since the start of 2023, having never come close to matching the 50-802-6 receiving line he produced for the Rams in 2021, his second season in the league. He's finished south of 400 yards in each subsequent campaign and isn't likely to experience a major revival in his age-29 season ahead.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Shows slight improvement in 2024
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Jefferson secured 24 of 40 targets for 276 yards and two touchdowns over 17 regular-season appearances in 2024.
Jefferson split time between the Rams and Falcons last year and failed to reach the end zone with either club. Although he wasn't very consistent during his first season in Pittsburgh, he found the end zone on two occasions during the regular season and also scored a touchdown during the team's wild-card loss to Baltimore. The 28-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent during the offseason and will likely have limited fantasy upside heading into 2025, regardless of where he signs.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Tallies three catches in defeat
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Jefferson secured three of four targets for 18 yards during Saturday's 19-17 loss to the Bengals.
Although the Steelers' passing game largely struggled in Saturday's regular-season finale, Jefferson had multiple receptions for the second time over the last six weeks. The 28-year-old was inconsistent throughout the regular season, including against the Ravens, whom the Steelers will face in next weekend's wild-card round. He failed to secure his lone target in the Week 11 meeting between the two teams but secured two of three targets for 27 yards against Baltimore in Week 16.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Limited work in defeat
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Jefferson secured two of three targets for 27 yards during Saturday's 34-17 loss to the Ravens.
Even though the Steelers were without George Pickens (hamstring) for a third consecutive game Saturday, Jefferson was unable to make a significant impact. Head coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday that Pickens has a "real chance" to return to action against Kansas City on Wednesday, so Jefferson seems unlikely to have a sizable role in Week 17.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Nonfactor against Philadelphia
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Jefferson caught one of his two targets for zero yards in Sunday's 27-13 loss to the Eagles.
Jefferson finished the game tied for the most snaps at wide receiver (35) with Calvin Austin, with both handling an 81 percent snap share in the contest. With fellow wideout George Pickens (hamstring) sidelined for the past two contests, the 28-year-old Jefferson has seen an increase in his playing time but saw just three total targets from quarterback Russell Wilson in that span. Unfortunately, the veteran was unable to get anything going against a stingy Philadelphia secondary. Jefferson will look to bounce back in a Week 16 matchup against the Ravens, however, his already limited usage could take a hit if Pickens is able to return.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Records 43-yard reception in win
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Jefferson secured one of three targets for 43 yards during Sunday's 44-38 win over the Bengals.
Jefferson was on the field for 62 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps Sunday, the second-highest mark among the team's wide receivers. While he didn't have many targets against Cincinnati, Jefferson put the Steelers in the red zone with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, which marked the team's longest play of the day. The 2020 second-rounder has secured three of five targets for 82 yards over the last two games, but it seems unlikely that he'll be a reliable fantasy option late in the season since his target share remains low.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Racks up four catches in Week 8
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Jefferson secured four of five targets for 62 yards during Monday's 26-18 win over the Giants.
Jefferson has been inconsistent for most of the 2024 season, but he racked up a season-high 62 receiving yards during Monday's primetime win a week after reaching the end zone for the first time this year. The 2020 second-rounder has had more success with Russell Wilson than he had with Justin Fields, and Jefferson played 80 percent of the team's offensive snaps Monday. Over the first half of the season, he has secured 14 of 21 targets for 139 yards and a touchdown.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Tallies three catches in loss
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Jefferson secured three of his five targets for 26 yards during Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Cowboys.
Jefferson led the Steelers' receivers in playing time during Sunday's matchup and recorded season-high marks in targets, receptions and receiving yards, but he still had a limited fantasy impact. Jefferson has been on the field for plenty of snaps early in the regular season, but he hasn't had a substantial target share.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Exits Sunday's game
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Jefferson exited Sunday's game against the Chargers due to an eye injury, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Prior to that, Jefferson hadn't been targeted in the contest. In his absence, George Pickens, Calvin Austin and Scotty Miller are available to handle the Steelers' WR duties, while the versatile Cordarrelle Patterson can also chip in on that front.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Logs two catches in victory
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Jefferson secured two of his three targets for 14 yards during Sunday's 13-6 win over the Broncos.
Jefferson saw plenty of playing time for a second consecutive week, as he was on the field for 82 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps, which led the team's wide receivers. The Rams second-rounder in 2020 was called for offensive pass interference in the closing seconds of the first half that nullified a touchdown, but he recorded a catch on the next play and nearly took the ball to the end zone. Jefferson has secured just three of five targets for 15 yards over the first two weeks of the regular season as part of the team's lackluster passing attack, but his early-season snap counts have been encouraging.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Limited to one catch in win
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Jefferson secured one of two targets for one yard during Sunday's 18-10 win over Atlanta.
Jefferson was on the field for 72 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps Sunday, which ranked first among the team's wide receivers, but he didn't draw many targets from interim starting quarterback Justin Fields as the passing game struggled to get going. Jefferson appeared in 17 games between the Rams and Falcons last year, securing 20 of 43 targets for 209 yards while rushing once for four yards. He appears to be in line to serve as the Steelers' No. 2 option at wide receiver early in 2024, but the team's passing attack may not be proficient enough to make him a reliable fantasy option.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Early favorite for WR2 job
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Jefferson has "pole position" to be Pittsburgh's No. 2 wide receiver, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.
The Steelers signed four wide receivers with NFL starting experience between January and May, also bringing in Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller and Marquez Callaway. They've each had exactly one season with 500-plus receiving yards, either in 2020 or 2021. Jefferson's so-called pole position prior to training camp may not mean much, as he'll face competition not only from the aforementioned veterans, but also 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson and 2023 third-rounder Calvin Austin. It looks like a wide-open competition for snaps/roles behind runaway No. 1 receiver George Pickens.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Moves on to Pittsburgh
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The Steelers and Jefferson agreed to a one-year contract Friday, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Jefferson has a 50-802-6 line on 89 targets in 17 regular-season games from 2021 with the Rams on his resume, but the 2020 second-round pick otherwise has put together 63 catches, 798 yards and four touchdowns in his other three campaigns between L.A. and Atlanta. With his new squad, he'll be a part of a Pittsburgh receiving corps that lost Diontae Johnson via a trade with Carolina, meaning Jefferson currently slots in as the Steelers' No. 2 WR behind George Pickens. Ultimately, Jefferson's place in the pecking order for passes from quarterback Russell Wilson will depend on other additions made this offseason.
