5 riskiest Pittsburgh Steelers jersey purchases in 2021
By Tommy Jaggi
Steelers fans have been burned with poor jersey purchases in the past. Here are five jerseys you may want to think twice before purchasing.
Regardless of how often you purchase NFL jerseys, everybody, at one point or another, has been but with a poor jersey purchase. For some of you, that may have been investing a good chunk of money in a Rashard Mendenhall, a Mike Wallace, or even a Jarvis Jones jersey.
While there are some Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys that fans get a few good years out of, there are others that are embarrassing to tout altogether (e.g. Jarvis Jones or Artie Burns). It’s always exciting to purchase the hottest new jerseys of young players on the team, but those who are looking to spend big might want a long-term investment with not so much risk involved.
Though nobody is going to tell you that you can’t wear the jersey you purchased long after a player has left the team, I can’t imagine there are a lot of fans out there who still want to show off their authentic number 26 Le’Veon Bell jersey. Here are five popular Steelers jerseys you may want to pump the brakes on for the time being:
JuJu Smith-Schuster: #19
Over the past two seasons, the number 19 JuJu Smith-Schuster jersey has been the most popular purchase among Steelers fans. If you haven’t made the investment in this yet, you may want to hold off – at least until after the 2022 offseason.
As you know, JuJu Smith-Schuster is a free agent next year and seemed unlikely that he would even return for the 2021 season. With much more available cap space in 2022, Pittsburgh could potentially lock him up for a lucrative long-term deal. However, they won’t do so if they think he can be replaced, as other young receivers on the roster could be prioritized.
In all honestly, I would much rather gamble on a Chase Claypool at this point in time. If JuJu does indeed sign a long-term extension, he will have a chance to be one of the most productive receivers in Steelers history. However, you may want to wait on this purchase unless you are okay with what could be a 17-game rental before he signs with another team.