Normally one to offer black-and-white news, ESPN’s Adam Schefter was vague with a peculiar comment on the heels of San Francisco 49ers WR Jauan Jennings receiving a potential salary bump in 2025. Reacting to news of Jennings’ deal that offers $3 million in incentives for the final year of his contract, Schefter tied the news to Pittsburgh.
“If he balls out this year, he’s going to crush it on the free agent market and have a chance to really get paid,” Schefter said Thursday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “But I bring up this deal because I wonder, I wonder, if the people in Pittsburgh are paying attention.”
It’s hard to interpret exactly what Schefter means. Jennings is under contract for 2025 but a free agent after the season. Is the implication Pittsburgh could make a run at him during next March’s free agency? He checks the boxes of an Arthur Smith type of receiver. Big, physical, a great blocker, and selfless attitude.
The Steelers have a season to evaluate their own No. 2 receivers in Calvin Austin III – a pending free agent himself – and Roman Wilson. If the team isn’t satisfied with their 2025 results, wide receiver will be high on the list of 2026 needs.
Or, is Schefter implying Pittsburgh could take the same route in its outstanding contract situations with DL Cam Heyward and K Chris Boswell. The Steelers could pump up both player’s 2025 salaries without offering new years to their contract. Pittsburgh once did similar with WR Antonio Brown, effectively giving him a pay raise instead of extending his contract two years before it expired, something the team only does for quarterbacks. The Steelers’ model wouldn’t involve incentives, Pittsburgh simply doesn’t like using those, but would come in the form as a signing bonus to increase this year’s salary.
Schefter didn’t expand on what he meant, and the conversation quickly shifted elsewhere. Either way, both possibilities bear watching. Jennings could be on the Steelers’ list of 2026 free agent targets, a year in which the team should have plenty of cap space and may again aggressively pursue veterans to preserve draft picks for a quarterback push. Giving a potential first-round rookie passer DK Metcalf, Jauan Jennings, Pat Freiermuth, and Jonnu Smith to throw to is a solid foundation.
More short term, the clock is ticking for Heyward to get a deal done and Schefter has mused if he’ll sit out the season opener. Even if everyone inside the building is expecting Heyward to play this Sunday, new contract or not.