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What’s going to occur with Pittsburgh Steelers huge receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster over the course of the subsequent six weeks? Will the Steelers re-sign him earlier than the previous second-round draft decide of theirs turns into an unrestricted free agent in March, or will he finally signal a profitable contract with a brand new staff effectively earlier than the month of March ends? We’ll discover out quickly sufficient, however within the meantime, Smith-Schuster is making the media rounds this week forward of Tremendous Bowl LV and answering varied questions on what al transpired final season with the Steelers in addition to what he thinks the fast future holds for him.
On Monday, Smith-Schuster was a visitor on ‘The Doug Gottlieb Present’ and late within the interview he was requested about his pending free agent scenario. Only for the sake of correct context, Smith-Schuster was requested how he plans on going about balancing out profitable, the quarterback he performs with, the fashion of play and a spot like Pittsburgh in his thoughts in the case of free company.
“Yeah, for me, I’m all the time about profitable,” Smith-Schuster stated. “I need to be on a staff the place we’re preventing, the place we’re competing for the playoffs yearly. So far as the enterprise aspect and the cash, I really feel like I need to be paid for what I’m value, clearly, for what I do for the staff, notably. After which once more, all of it is sensible to usher in Ben [Roethlisberger] and to have a quarterback who I can play with for the long run.”
So, what can we take from that quote from Smith-Schuster? It’s arduous to pinpoint however the principle takeaway is that the younger huge receiver positively expects to be paid what he’s value within the coming six weeks. In Smith-Schuster’s case, his value is probably going not less than $16.5 million per season and possibly as excessive as $18.5 million. If that’s finally the vary of Smith-Schuster’s value, the Steelers are going to have a tricky time accommodating that by way of a long-term contract settlement within the subsequent six weeks and particularly if the 2021 NFL wage cap quantity doesn’t are available north of $180 million.
Smith-Schuster clearly wish to stay in Pittsburgh transferring ahead and particularly if Roethlisberger returns for not less than yet another season, which it seems like he’ll as of final week when he said that he would do no matter’s essential in the case of his contract to assist the staff out from a wage cap perspective. Smith-Schuster actually received wind of Roethlisberger’s remarks final week.
“It means so much,” Smith-Schuster stated of Roethlisberger’s contract-related feedback he made final week. “I imply, you’re speaking a few man who he needs to play once more. He needs to have the identical guys round him and that’s what it’s in all probability going to take. He doesn’t care in regards to the cash. He needs to restructure his contract and I believe that’s fairly cool. It simply goes to indicate that he’s extra in regards to the staff than the rest.”
Smith-Schuster, not less than in accordance with his Instagram account, began his offseason coaching on Monday after presumably taking the previous few weeks off after the Steelers misplaced to the Cleveland Browns within the tremendous Wild Card spherical of the playoffs. He’ll more likely to a number of interviews this week forward of the tremendous Bowl so we’re more likely to be recapping extra feedback of his on his pending free company scenario. Within the meantime, Smith-Schuster made it identified on Monday that he thought he represented himself effectively on the sphere in 2020.
“I believe I did fairly effectively, Smith-Schuster stated. “So far as like changing on third downs, so far as making performs for my staff when it have to be wanted, catching the ball, getting vertical, I believe I did a fairly good job on after they known as out my title, I used to be there to reply.”
Smith-Schuster additionally made it clear on Monday that he would like to be again in Pittsburgh in 2021.
“I’d love to come back again,” Smith-Schuster stated. “I’d like to play with Ben for these occasions being right here.”
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