4 Steelers that need a change of scenery in 2022 offseason

Steelers JuJu Smith-Schuster

It was mildly surprising to see JuJu Smith-Schuster return to the Steelers this past offseason. The former second-round pick was coming off a disappointing season, but a lot of that was due to his usage by the team. Most expected him to take a decent offer from a team with some money. Instead, the receiving market was pretty cool, so Smith-Schuster decided to stay with the Steelers instead of going to a new team.

His beginning of 2021 was similar to that of his 2020 and 2019 seasons though. He was a great safety valve, but the team wasn’t going to rely on him as a top receiving talent. Quite frankly, he has been exposed for what he is. While a supremely talented receiver, Smith-Schuster has proven to be far more effective when a legitimate top threat is lined up across from him. When he is that top name, he doesn’t produce as he should.

All of this to say, Smith-Schuster likely looks for another one-year deal to join a team that has someone to attract attention away from him. Even if he isn’t an elite number one receiver, Smith-Schuster is still supremely talented. A new team that features him more down the field and has some other legitimate receiving options should help get Smith-Schuster back to where he needs to be.