JuJu Smith-Schuster used to be a massive part of Pittsburgh’s offense, but here are three reasons why the Steelers wide receiver is quickly becoming expendable.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is a fan favorite in Steelers. Ever since he exploded onto the scene with an impressive rookie season in 2017, fans have been infatuated with his physicality on the football field and charisma off of it.
In just his second season in the league, Smith-Schuster tied for 6th in the league with 111 receptions on the season, and his 1,426 yards (5th) topped players like Michael Thomas, Davante Adams, and then-teammate, Antonio Brown.
By his third NFL season in 2019, JuJu became the youngest receiver in NFL history to eclipse 2,500 receiving yards – surpassing the great Randy Moss. Ironically though, two years later we are talking about him as if he wasn’t critical to the success of this football team.
Smith-Schuster was an amazing pick by the Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft – there’s no question about that. However, It’s becoming more and more apparent that his role on offense can be both replicated and replaced.
Over the past two seasons, JuJu has not impressed as many would have like to have seen. though he still catches a high percentage of balls thrown his way, he seems to be doing less now with his opportunities than ever before.
Smith-Schuster is in a contract year, and if the Steelers can’t get a deal done with him or slap a the franchise tag on him before he hits free agency, he will be suiting up on a different team next year. But is that really a significant loss?
Here are three reasons why JuJu Smith-Schuster is starting to become an expendable player for Pittsburgh: