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JuJu Smith-Schuster returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason in certainly one of free agency’s most puzzling decisions.
The four-year veteran receiver reportedly had higher presents to hitch the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, however as a substitute re-upped for a one-year deal in Pittsburgh.
Declining to hitch the rival Ravens and their run-first offense is sensible. Turning down an opportunity to catch passes from Patrick Mahomes whereas contending for a Tremendous Bowl when the Chiefs have been providing a greater deal — properly, that requires some explaining.
So why did JuJu keep in Pittsburgh?
Smith-Schuster supplied some perception into his reasoning in a recent appearance on the Michael Irvin podcast. It feels like he valued the consolation of remaining in a well-recognized place over different priorities. And he is assured sufficient in a 39-year-old Ben Roethlisberger to offer it yet one more shot in Pittsburgh.
“Being someplace in an environment and atmosphere, understanding the place the crew is aware of you, they know your historical past, they know the way you might be, use you and stuff like that,” Smith-Schuster defined, per NFL Network. “Yo, I am gonna take my probability, I am gonna play with Ben.”
Chiefs reportedly supplied a greater deal
Smith-Schuster reportedly signed with the Steelers for $8 million over one season. In response to NFL Community’s Taylor Bisciotti, the Ravens supplied $9 million with $4 million in incentives whereas the Chiefs supplied $8 million with $3 million in incentives that the Steelers did not provide.
He signed the one-year deal because the NFL faces a league-wide wage cap crunch attributed to the misplaced income of the 2020 COVID-19 season. With a massive new NFL TV deal agreed upon, that income crunch guarantees to be short-lived, and Smith-Schuster initiatives to be in line for the primary long-term extension of his profession after subsequent season.
Missed alternative for JuJu?
There isn’t a higher alternative for an NFL large receiver to extend his worth than by catching balls from a generational expertise in Mahomes on a crew favored to win the Super Bowl. It is frankly a straightforward gross sales pitch that Smith-Schuster mentioned Chiefs coach Andy Reid laid on thick.
“Andy Reid was simply calling me, and he was sending me Lombardi Trophy footage like always,” Smith-Schuster continued. … “Like texted it to me whereas I used to be attempting to decide, and I’ve a lot respect for him and his crew.”
To be clear, the Chiefs have been his second alternative.
“We had discuss, so it could’ve been Okay.C. after the Steelers,” Smith-Schuster mentioned.
Why JuJu turned down Ravens
He additionally clarified why he turned down the Ravens.
“Lamar [Jackson]’s a extremely, a heavy run offense with the backs that he has,” Smith-Schuster mentioned. ‘I simply, simply level being details. His No. 1 goal was [Mark] Andrews, who’s a good finish.”
Marquise Brown was truly Jackson’s prime goal and receiver in Baltimore final season, tallying 769 yards and eight touchdowns on 100 targets, numbers all a smidge higher than Andrews, Baltimore’s second-leading receiver.
However the level stands. There are higher NFL alternatives for a receiver than a Ravens crew whose first and second choices are to run the ball.
It simply does not clarify why he turned down the golden alternative to play in Kansas Metropolis.
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