4 Steelers that receive unjustified dislike from the fanbase

Steelers JuJu Smith-Schuster

The case for J.J. Smith-Schuster being hated is quite a different one from McFarland. At one point, he was the poster child of Pittsburgh, as his fun-loving nature made him a favorite amongst the fanbase. As well, his early production was far better than what he has put up recently. When you combine those two facts, he was a darling, but once he began to struggle, some of the fanbase turned against him.

For starters, any Steelers fans that call out Smith-Schuster for being active on social media and marketing himself are in the wrong. The man has a right to earn whatever he can right now, as football won’t last forever but a brand potentially will. You can argue all you want in terms of how good he is, but don’t dislike a man for trying to do what he can to make the most of his earning potential in the NFL.

As for the quality of player, Smith-Schuster may not be an elite number one receiver, but he isn’t a bad player. As well, his usage over the past two seasons has been horrible. The Steelers as a team have reverted to shorter passes, but his average depth of target last season only being 5.5 yards is similar to a running back. If the team wants him to get back to his 2018 ways, getting him more involved deep is key here. No, Smith-Schuster isn’t a top-five receiver in the league, but he is a fine starter and a player that makes this receiving room better.