5 of the Steelers best moves during the 2021 NFL offseason

Steelers re-sign Smith-Schuster

J.J. Smith-Schuster has had one of the most up and down four years with the Steelers than any player before him. He entered the league as a young, unassuming player who shined when lined up opposite of Antonio Brown. Once Brown left, Smith-Schuster still produced but was hampered by being the top target, injuries, and some of the most uncreative usages that an offensive coordinator could come up with. Add in his now polarizing view with the fanbase due to his social media presence and you have a player that not all of Steelers nation is happy to welcome back.

There seemed to be little hope for Smith-Schuster to return this season as receivers typically get paid in the offseason. However, the market was extremely cool this offseason as most of the top options got deals far below what was expected. This opened the door for a Smith-Schuster reunion, as the team signed him to a one-year deal worth only 8 million dollars. Better yet, the deal has voidable years meaning he only counts for 2.4 million dollars towards the salary cap this season.

One can argue Smith-Schuster’s merits as an elite starter, but he is a great second option at worst at this stage of his career. His deal was a discount, especially when you consider the fact that Corey Davis and Curtis Samuel got more money than he did despite being worse players. Smith-Schuster returning at such a discounted rate was a huge win and easily the Steelers’ best move this offseason.

While the Steelers’ offseason wasn’t overly eventful, they made some high potential moves as a whole. There were some tough losses sure, but these five moves will ensure the team remains competitive this season. Easily, these five moves were the best the team made during 2021 so far.