If the Pittsburgh Steelers are still interested in adding a veteran wide receiver this offseason, another one just became available. The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on April 30 that they have released receiver Zay Jones.
That means Jones will be available in free agency to sign with any team. SI.com’s All Steelers’ Noah Strackbein proposed the Steelers as a potential destination.
“Pittsburgh is hunting for another starter next to George Pickens and to take some of the pressure off of rookie third-round pick Roman Wilson,” Strackbein wrote. “If they want a player who can work as either the two or three, Jones may be their best bet.
“The 29-year-old played just nine games last season, but the year prior, he caught 82 passes for 823 yards and five touchdowns – his best season in the NFL.”
Jones posted 34 receptions, 321 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns for the Jaguars last season. But as Strackbein mentioned, Jones experienced a career year the season prior in 2022.
Jones also recorded 500-yard receiving seasons with the Buffalo Bills in 2018 and Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.
The Bills drafted Jones in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Why the Steelers Could Be Interested in WR Zay Jones
Since trading veteran receiver Diontae Johnson during the first week of free agency, pundits have suggested several different receivers as potential targets for Pittsburgh. That likely isn’t going to change.
Since trading Johnson, the Steelers signed veterans Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins. They also drafted Michigan wideout Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.
But despite those additions, George Pickens is the only receiver on Pittsburgh’s roster who even had 210 receiving yards in 2023.
The arrival of Wilson in the draft could partially fill the void the Steelers possess at WR2. But counting on a rookie receiver to be an immediate starter on the opposite side of Pickens is a lot to ask.
Signing Jones would give Wilson the opportunity to play in the slot as a rookie. That’s where he excelled most in his college career at Michigan.
The Bills selected Jones at No. 37 overall in 2017. He posted 27 catches for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns as a rookie.
His best season in Buffalo came in 2018 when he had 652 receiving yards and a career-high 7 touchdowns. But the Bills traded Jones to the Raiders prior to the NFL trade deadline in 2019.
Jones spent two and a half seasons with the Raiders, which is the longest tenure he’s had with any organization. He registered 81 catches, 847 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in 43 games with Las Vegas/Oakland.
While Jones played fewer games for the Jaguars than either the Bills or Raiders, he had more catches and receiving yards in Jacksonville than the other two teams.
Steelers GM Omar Khan Addresses WR Trade Rumors
Jones is an intriguing potential acquisition for Pittsburgh. But he’s not the top target. That would still be either San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel.
Rumors that the Steelers could acquire either receiver reached their peak on the first couple days of the NFL draft. They have cooled since then, but there are still rumblings that a deal could be made.
Obviously, if the Steelers acquire either Aiyuk or Samuel, then they will not need to pursue Jones. But on April 30, Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan made it sound as though there’s not much happening on the trade front at the moment.
“There’s nothing going on right now,” Khan said on The Pat McAfee Show, in response to a question about the receiver trade rumors. “Nothing to report.”
That, of course, could always change. The Steelers could also pursue another receiver trade for a veteran such as Courtland Sutton.
But it will be interesting to see if the Steelers express any interest in Jones now that he is available in free agency.
