The Steelers went into the offseason with an all-or-nothing mindset of acquiring 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. After months of speculation, he signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with San Francisco on Thursday.
That has left Pittsburgh with a very underwhelming receiving corps and a clear void at a No. 2 wide receiver.
Here are five options the team could turn to be its No. 2 option this season.
Wide receiver Van Jefferson
Jefferson is currently slotted as the Steelers’ current No. 2 wide receiver opposite George Pickens, which means he’ll get the first crack at the job.
He is coming off arguably the worst season of his NFL career, in which he registered just 20 catches for 209 yards and zero touchdowns with the Los Angeles Rams (five games) and Atlanta Falcons (12 games).
However, Jefferson 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 said. “AB was a great, so why not try to follow his regime?”
Only time will tell if it pays off for Jefferson, but it’s now or never for the 28-year-old.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth
Pittsburgh’s No. 2 leading receiver by the end of the season could very well not be a wide receiver.
Freiermuth, a second-round pick in 2021, is coming off a career-low 32 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, but that was in just 12 games as he battled a nagging hamstring injury.
He is now fully healthy and should play a significant role in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense, which has been described as tight-end friendly all offseason.
“I think it’s been great,” Freiermuth said. “The schemes that we’re being asked to do have been great. I think it fits a lot of us, and we’re all just excited to go out and execute.”
Wide receiver John Metchie III, Houston Texans
Just because the Steelers have announced their initial 53-man roster doesn’t mean they still can’t trade for a wide receiver.
On Monday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that “multiple teams” have reached out to the Texans to see if Metchie III would be available in a trade due to their roster’s plethora of receivers.
It would be surprising if Pittsburgh were not one of those teams, and now that Aiyuk is off the table, it could look to revisit with Houston.
The start to the 24-year-old’s NFL career has been unideal, missing his entire rookie year after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia and then registering just 16 catches for 158 yards in his return last season.
However, Metchie III flashed his second-round upside throughout the preseason, reeling in 10 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.
There is still much to learn about Metchie III, but it’s not difficult to argue that he would be the Steelers’ second-best option.
Wide receiver Roman Wilson
Pittsburgh is arguably the best team at drafting wide receivers, which is why it could sooner rather than later turn to Wilson, its third-round pick (No. 84) in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Wilson has been sidelined for much of the preseason since suffering an ankle injury during the first week of training camp, but he is nearing his return and has taken advantage of his mental reps while injured.
“A lot actually,” Wilson said. “Really dissecting the game, dissecting a lot of routes. A lot of different receivers around the league, focusing on a lot of guys that I want to emulate. Learning from the other receivers here.”
When Wilson returns, if he proves up to speed on the offense, he’ll only have to translate it to the field.
Wide receiver Michael Thomas, free agent
There isn’t much left on the open market, but Thomas is by far the most intriguing.
The 2019 NFL Offensive Player of the Year was once one of the best wide receivers in the league, but injuries have plagued the backend of his career.
The 31-year-old has played in just 20 games the past four seasons, reeling in 95 catches for 1,057 yards and four touchdowns during the span.
The New Orleans Saints released Thomas in March, and he is searching for his next opportunity. With most of their other options dried up, the Steelers could be exactly that.
