Rams reportedly trade WR Van Jefferson to Falcons for 2025 pick swap

Staff writer

Tue, 10 Oct 2023, 3:59 pm·2-min read

The Los Angeles Rams are moving on from one of their 2021 Super Bowl season standouts.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Rams have agreed to trade wide receiver Van Jefferson and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons. In return, the Falcons will reportedly send a 2025 sixth-round pick to Los Angeles.

Jefferson and the Rams have been together ever since 2020 when the team drafted him in the second round out of Florida. He didn't see a ton of playing time that year, but that changed in 2021 with the arrival of QB Matthew Stafford and an injury to Robert Woods. Jefferson started all 17 games, making 50 catches for 802 yards with six touchdowns. His play in light of Woods' season-long absence was a key part of the Rams' successful journey to the Super Bowl and their eventual win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

A knee injury spoiled the first half of the 2022 season for Jefferson, and by the time he got back from injured reserve in Week 8, Stafford was struggling with an elbow injury to his throwing arm. Jefferson and Stafford played together for just a short time in Week 10 before Stafford's elbow cost him the rest of the season.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 10: Van Jefferson #12 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on September 10, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. The Los Angeles Rams won 30-13. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) — Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson has reportedly been traded to the Falcons. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The rest of Jefferson's 2022 was a disaster, but there was a chance he could have earned himself some time this season, especially with Stafford healthy and Cooper Kupp missing the first four games with an ankle issue. But 2023 fifth-round draft pick Puka Nacua broke out instead, seamlessly replacing Kupp and leaving Jefferson on the sidelines. Over five games, he's caught eight of 15 targets for 108 yards. Kupp returned to action in Week 5, and along with Nacua and Tutu Atwell, Jefferson is simply redundant.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Jefferson was open to a trade, which is not surprising given his recent usage. He'll be catching passes from QB Desmond Ridder in Atlanta, a second-year player looking for options on the field. If Jefferson and Ridder can build a connection similar to the one Jefferson had with Stafford in 2021, the Falcons could end up getting lot from a trade that involved very little cost and even less risk.