Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Teryl Austin would much rather watch Justin Jefferson than figure out how to muffle him.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive coordinator admires the Minnesota Vikings receiver’s game, one more productive than the NFL has seen before. Stopping him during the teams’ clash in Dublin on Sunday won’t be an easy task.
Jefferson’s 95.4 career receiving yards per game are the most of any player in the league’s history.
“You watch him, he’s a really good route runner, and he’s kind of a fearless receiver. He catches contested balls all over the place, yards after catch,” Austin said Thursday. “He runs through stuff. It really makes him a complete receiver. That makes him hard to deal with. Other guys, sometimes you can kind of figure out where they may come up short in some areas, but he doesn’t really come up short in very many areas. If he does, it’s just a tiny bit.
“If I wasn’t playing against him, I’d be like, ‘Boy, he’s fun to watch.’ But we’ve got to go against him this week.”
Jefferson has begun his career with five consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. He led the league with 1,809 receiving yards and 128 grabs in 2022. Through three games this season, Jefferson has 12 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown. During the Vikings’ 22-6 Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Jefferson tied Larry Fitzgerald as the youngest player to reach 500 career receptions.
“Certainly, Jefferson is a man to be reckoned with,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.
Jefferson has the most receiving yards (7,632) in the NFL since being drafted No. 22 overall in 2020. His 507 receptions are the fourth-most in the league during that same span. Only Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill have been targeted more.
Jefferson’s LSU teammate and Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase (87.2) trails him on the receiving yards per game leaderboard. Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (86.1) and Steelers great Antonio Brown (84.2) also follow.
Undrafted rookie Max Hurleman tried to replicate Jefferson on the Steelers’ practice squad this week.
“Just play-making ability, speed, energy,” Hurleman said of Jefferson’s game. “About all of the things he brings to the table. He’s a really good receiver. It’s a tough role to emulate.”
As of Saturday, the Steelers had given up 246.7 passing yards per game, the seventh-most in the league.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: ‘Man to Be Reckoned With’: Justin Jefferson Poses Massive Problem for Steelers
