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Within the days earlier than free company, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster made it clear publicly and privately that his time in Pittsburgh was ending, regardless that he wanted to stay. Then, one thing occurred.
Extra precisely, nothing occurred. Smith-Schuster didn’t get the affords he thought he’d get in free company. That resulted in, ultimately, a two-team tug-of-war for his companies, with the Ravens ($9 million on a one-year take care of incentives) and the Steelers ($8 million) attempting to land him. (The Chiefs made a late run that by no means received off the bottom.)
That was sufficient for Smith-Schuster to not commerce black and yellow for black and purple (and periodic tan pants). Staff president Artwork Rooney II was happy with the result.
“JuJu was an important part of our offense final yr and has been for the previous couple of years,” Rooney mentioned in a current name with followers. “We have been actually hopeful that we’d be capable of signal JuJu again. The one factor about JuJu is he actually wished to return again and that actually helped quite a bit. I’m glad we received him again. I sit up for him having one other good yr for us in 2021.”
Smith-Schuster didn’t get massive affords as a result of, though he’s an awesome No. 2 receiver, he’s not a No. 1 receiver. Not like different No. 2 receivers whose free-agent suitors discovered the arduous method that they’re not No. 1 receivers (e.g., Alvin Harper), the remainder of the league noticed that Smith-Schuster isn’t a No. 1 man when the Steelers tried to make him the No. 1 man after the Antonio Brown implosion, coincidentally sparked by Smith-Schuster being named 2018 workforce MVP.
Additionally working in opposition to Smith-Schuster was the truth that the market this yr at receiver grew to become depressed, because of a diminished wage cap and an anticipated glut of receivers within the draft. Because of this, Smith-Schuster will keep the place he’s been, catch passes in what probably might be Massive Ben’s swan tune, and hit the market once more in 2022.
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