The Jacksonville Jaguars needed reinforcements at wide receiver with injuries mounting at the position. That's why nobody batted an eye when they traded for Jakobi Meyers at the November 4 deadline. Then again, the Jags weren't the only team that set their sights on him.
The Pittsburgh Steelers also showed strong interest in Meyers before Jacksonville managed to get a deal done with the Las Vegas Raiders. Looking back, they might've held a massive edge in negotiations.
The Jaguars managed to trade for Jakobi Meyers even though the Steelers wanted him
Steelers correspondent Mark Kaboly broke the news that Pittsburgh offered fourth and sixth round picks — the same trade package as the Jaguars — but the Raiders let him pick his destination. He chose Jacksonville.
The Steelers have the same 5-3 record as Jacksonville heading into Week 10. Moreover, they have a more favorable quarterback situation with Aaron Rodgers behind center. However, the Jags have something (actually someone) who might've tipped the scale in their favor during their pursuit of Meyers: Receivers coach Edgar Bennett.
After the Jags cleaned house, head coach Liam Coen brougth in Bennet to coach his receivers. And what team did he work for the year prior? You guessed it: Las Vegas, and Meyers happened to put up career numbers under his wing.
Don't you think that Meyers didn't want to jump at the chance to play for the coach who helped him hit his stride? Now, this is just a conjecture, but he'll probably (or should) be asked about why he chose the Jaguars over Pittsburgh, and there's a strong chance that Bennett was the decisive factor.
Bennett coached the Raiders receivers from 2018-2024. Under his tutelage, Meyers posted a combined 158 catches for 1,834 yards with 12 touchdowns the past two seasons. During an exchange with the media after trading for him, Coen said that Bennett had nothing but good things to say about Meyers.
Related: Winners and loser from the Jakobi Meyers trade
Jakobi Meyers has a chance to make an immediate impact for the Jaguars
It's worth noting that the Steelers also showed interest in Rashid Shaheed but he shunned them in favor of the Seattle Seahawks. For whatever reason, receivers didn't want to be traded to the Steelers. From an outside perspective, it's hard to tell why, but you can make a strong case that having Edgar Bennett around most definitely helped the Jags land him.
With Brian Thomas Jr. already ruled out for Week 10, the Jags will probably lean on Jakobi Meyers more than they've originally liked. Then again, tha'ts a good thing.
Jakobi Meyers will have an opportunity right off the bat to prove that he's deserving of the contract extension that he had been asking for, and he'll get to do it under position coach Edgar Bennett.