Through the first four seasons of his NFL career, veteran wide receiver Van Jefferson has played for some high-profile head coaches, like Sean McVay in Los Angeles and, most recently, Arthur Smith in Atlanta.
Neither of them is Mike Tomlin, though.
Jefferson, who signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers on March 15, is excited to play under Tomlin.
Speaking with reporters Tuesday following the latest Organized Team Activities session at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Jefferson stated that Tomlin is an “awesome coach” who brings a sense of pride to coaching and loves the game.
“An awesome coach, an awesome human being,” Jefferson said of Tomlin, according to video via the Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski on Twitter. “Someone that takes pride in coaching, loves football. That’s what you want in a football coach. Like I said, being on the outside and now seeing it on the inside, it’s totally different.
“I didn’t know that he didn’t have a losing season until I came here. That’s just a testament to the work he’s put in and how great of a coach that he is.”
New Steelers WR Van Jefferson on Steelers coach Mike Tomlin
(When you get to Pittsburgh you quickly become aware Tomlin hasn’t had a losing season) pic.twitter.com/JkACGDtIy5
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) June 4, 2024
Hearing those words from Jefferson, none of it is a surprise when it comes to Tomlin and the respect that he garners from players, ones that have been around him a long time, and even new faces like Jefferson.
Tomlin has been at this now, entering Year 18, and it’s always the same stuff you hear about him: awesome coach, great communicator, cares about the players on and off the field, and puts in a ton of work to be successful.
None of that should be doubted at this point. His resume speaks for itself. He is well respected and beloved by players and consistently has his teams competing for playoff spots.
But the lack of playoff success in the last seven years is quite concerning. That’s been a major talking point this offseason, especially after team president and owner Art Rooney II stated that the Steelers have “had enough of this” regarding the lack of playoff success.
Pittsburgh had quite a busy offseason, bringing in a number of new faces, including Jefferson, in an effort to get back to winning playoff games. Jefferson brings Super Bowl experience, having won the Super Bowl in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams.
He knows what it takes to win and what makes a good coach, having played under McVay. He’s already seeing that quickly with Tomlin.
