The Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver room has only grown more competitive since their first preseason game. The group is still battling for the No. 2 receiver spot behind George Pickens, and while a few players had better performances than others against the Houston Texans, the competition is far from decided. Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller are two veterans who have each won Super Bowls and hope to be major contributors for the Steelers this year. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith seems impressed with both of them so far.
“Van is healthy,” Smith said in a video posted on Twitter from Aaron Becker of Yardbarker. “In [Los Angeles], he was coming off the injury. We got him after camp. Scotty is, both those guys have played on Super Bowl-winning teams. They’ve got a lot of experience. They’re hungry. They’ve both had excellent camps.”
When Smith is talking about Jefferson, he is talking about when he was head coach of the Atlanta Falcons last year and traded for the receiver from the Los Angeles Rams. Jefferson had been dealing with injuries before the trade, and he didn’t get dealt to the Falcons until October. Therefore, Smith didn’t get any time to work with Jefferson in the offseason or when he was completely healthy.
Miller was also a member of Smith’s Falcons last year, joining a handful of Steelers players who have played for Smith before. He didn’t have his best season last year, but the Steelers should have better quarterback play than the Falcons did. Miller did help Tom Brady, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, win a Super Bowl in 2020, so he’s proven that he can be effective.
Jefferson won his Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021, and he was a key part of that victory. It’s clear that Smith values the veteran leadership and experience that both players provide. If they both make the team and the Steelers end up making the playoffs, that experience will become vital.
Both players shined in the team’s loss to the Houston Texans. Jefferson made several plays, and Miller’s speed was on display. They both certainly boosted their stock in the receiver room. Nothing is finalized yet though, and it remains to be seen if either of them becomes the Steelers’ No. 2 receiver.
