Sean McVay Says Van Jefferson Will Be ‘Big Part’ Of 2023 Season

The Los Angeles Rams offense will be looking to bounce back after a terrible 2022 season that saw several key guys go down to injuries.

The receiver corps took a massive hit when Cooper Kupp suffered a high-ankle sprain that ended his season prematurely. In his stead, players like Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell got more meaningful reps, though they couldn’t come close to replacing Kupp.

However, one bright spot was the resurgence of Van Jefferson, who got off to a slow start due to a nagging knee injury. Jefferson found his groove toward the end of the year, looking more like the player that the team drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

With Allen Robinson no longer on the roster, Jefferson is widely expected to slot right in to the No. 2 spot. Sean McVay has high hopes for the wideout as he believes he’ll be instrumental to the offense.

“He’s always been motivated. He’s got a great way about himself. You talk about a guy that loves football, pours everything into this. I think he’s now… just more time removed, he’s been so intentional about being able to build up that knee, really strengthen that and the areas around it. Just get more comfortable putting that foot in the ground and really playing the receiver position. He made a lot of big plays out here today. We all know what Van is capable of and you want to just be able to have him stay healthy, continue to just take those steps in the right direction, and he’s going to be a big part of what we’re doing next year.”

Although Jefferson’s 2022 statline of 24 receptions, 369 receiving yards and three touchdowns doesn’t look very impressive most of that production came after their bye week where he assumed a larger role. Looking healthier, Jefferson flashed his field-stretching ability coupled with his sure hands.

Kupp is expected to be fully health for the 2023 season and reclaim his status as the alpha in the passing game, though Jefferson should have his fair share of opportunities as well. With a full offseason without injuries, Jefferson has a shot to finally break out in the league.

Van Jefferson says Week 14 game-winning touchdown meant a lot

There weren’t a lot of highlights for the Rams in 2022, though they did give fans something to cheer about after completing a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback in Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Jefferson caught the game-winning touchdown from Baker Mayfield and later said it meant a lot to him after dealing with knee issues earlier in the season.