Early grades for every Steelers 2021 free agency signing

JuJu Smith-Schuster

1-year, 8 million dollars (four voidable years), 2.4 million dollar cap hit

Grade: A

At the end of the day, I have this deal just slightly under the one that Sutton got. That isn’t due to Sutton being a better player or even a better player, but the voidable years on J.J. Smith-Schuster’s deal are far more impactful and affect the team early next season. On the flip side, it keeps his first-year cap hit minuscule, which allowed the team to make moves that needed to be made elsewhere.

In terms of value, this deal is probably the best that the Steelers got this offseason. Smith-Schuster is worth far more than 8 million a season, as he has been a valuable contributor in the passing game and has served as a decent top option when needed. Is he elite? At this point, no, but it should be noted he was in an offense that used him horribly last season and had limits with deep passes. That doesn’t mean he isn’t good though and being able to retain him so cheaply is a huge win.

When players like Curtis Samuel and Corey Davis get bigger contracts than Smith-Schuster, you know that the team got a steal with him. The only drawback to this deal is the 5.6 million in dead money that is staring the Steelers in the face next season once his contract voids. Deals like these offer immediate relief but in turn, produce bigger cap penalties later on. Besides that, though, this deal was easily the best value the team got and was in contention for the best overall signing for the team this offseason.