The Titans already had a pretty good read on Van Jefferson, and now the Commanders are getting the same lesson.
Jefferson was one of Tennessee’s more dependable wideouts in a rough 2025 offense, finishing with 29 catches for 350 yards and a touchdown. Even with that production, the Titans chose not to bring him back earlier this offseason. Instead, Mike Borgonzi went in a different direction, drafting Carnell Tate and signing Wan'Dale Robinson to a lucrative contract in free agency.
That left Jefferson to land with Washington on a one-year deal, and he’s now headed into Commanders training camp trying to do what he’s done before: hang around, earn trust, and carve out a role.
He’s walking into a roster fight, not a sure thing. Washington has its own questions at receiver, even if Terry McLaurin gives the group a clear headliner. Dean Jones of Riggo's Rag summed up Jefferson’s position this summer:
" Van Jefferson came in on the roster bubble, and that might still be the case," Jones of Riggo's Rag said. " However, with concerns about others in the receiver unit, and his strong start over Washington's early offseason program, the veteran has given himself a fighting chance of sealing his place on the 53-man roster.
Jefferson has more experience than any receiver not named Terry McLaurin in Washington. That won't guarantee anything without a dominant summer, and the dynamic would completely shift again if Adam Peters brings in another dependable pass-catcher before Week 1."
That’s the tightrope Jefferson has been living on. He’s not the flashiest name, but he keeps finding ways to stay in the mix.
Tennessee leaned on him heavily last season, especially after Calvin Ridley got hurt. Jefferson became a regular next to rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, a sign of how stretched thin the Titans’ passing game was on one of the league’s worst aerial attacks.
This offseason, though, the Titans overhauled the receiver room. Tate and Robinson are the new faces meant to give Cam Ward a better chance to grow into the job. Jefferson, meanwhile, is back in familiar territory: another camp, another chance, another battle to prove he belongs.
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Titans Just Turned Up The Pressure In Their Cornerback Battle
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Nazeeh Johnson brings a familiar face to the mix for general manager Mike Borgonzi, who crossed paths with him during their time in Kansas City, and that connection could matter as the Titans sort out the back end of the roster. Johnsons path has also included serious knee and shoulder injuries, which adds another layer to a camp battle that already figures to be competitive, with his ability to carve out a role still very much to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Head Into Camp With One Huge Offensive Line Question
Training camp is getting close in Tennessee, with rookies already in the building and veterans due soon, and most of the roster questions have been addressed by general manager Mike Borgonzis recent moves. One of the biggest holdovers, though, sits on the offensive line, where Peter Skoronski remains a key piece for a team trying to stabilize things up front after picking up his fifth-year option and signaling that it wants him around for the long haul.
Skoronski has been one of the more dependable players on the unit, and he is still under contract for two more seasons, but the Titans have not yet turned that into a new extension. Borgonzi has made clear the club values him, and the timing only adds to the intrigue as camp opens without that long-term deal in place, leaving one of Tennessees most important offensive linemen heading into the summer with his future still not fully settled. [Read more 🡒]