Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers are facing changes ahead of the 2025 NFL season, where they hope to make a long-awaited return to the Super Bowl. On Wednesday, they learned that an important contributor from last season is taking his talents to the Tennessee Titans, who acted fast after losing a pass catcher to Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that wide receiver Van Jefferson is signing a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Titans in free agency after spending 2024 with the Steelers, also on a one-season deal.
Jefferson, who will turn 29 in July, started in 12 of 17 games played under Tomlin’s Steelers last year. Even though he wasn’t the primary wideout in offense, he still had his fair share of opportunities with 24 catches on 40 targets for 276 yards and two touchdowns.
Tennessee turns to homegrown talent after losing rising weapon to Miami
The Brentwood native will now play with his hometown team, filling in a recent vacancy on the Titans. On Tuesday, Tennessee found out that a talent it developed all these years is going to Miami.
Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is joining the Dolphins on a two-year, $6.5 million deal which includes $3.2 million guaranteed.
The Indiana product, who spent four years with the Titans after going undrafted in 2020, comes from a breakout season where he recorded a career-high nine receiving touchdowns. An interesting addition for Tagovailoa, but the Titans hope their new signing makes them forget about this loss.
Jefferson, a Super Bowl champion aiming to build on a great year
Selected out of Florida by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson helped the team win the Super Bowl in his second year in the league. With Matthew Stafford in town and Robert Woods out due to injury, Jefferson stepped up en route to the championship.
The wideout racked up 50 catches for 802 yards with six touchdowns in the 2021 regular season, logging four catches for 23 yards in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
An injury limited his playing time in 2022, which turned out to be his final season in LA before being traded to the Atlanta Falcons. His time in Pittsburgh helped him leave behind a mediocre year in Georgia, and now hopes to get back to his best with the Titans.