JuJu stays in the Burgh
Brook Ward via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
JuJu enters through the tunnel onto the field before the Steelers game.
It was unclear whether the beloved JuJu Smith-Schuster from the Pittsburgh Steelers would stay in the Burgh. However, JuJu signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers for $8 million.
“The Steelers added $500k to their final offer to JuJu Smith-Schuster to push it over the finish line, source says. Went from $7.5 million to $8 million and it got done,” said Mike Garafolo.
The Ravens offered the wideout $9 million, plus $4 million in incentives, while the Chiefs offered $8 million, plus $3 million in incentives, per Bisciotti.
“This is my home, they’re gonna need a wrecking ball to take me outta here! PITTSBURGH LOVE YOU, LET’S GO!!!!!” Smith-Schuster tweeted, adding the famous “Wolf of Wall Street” scene featuring Leonardo DiCaprio.
JuJu went around telling teammates that it was unlikely for him to stay in Pittsburgh because he would be out of their price range. After a big offer didn’t materialize in a slow-moving wide receiver market, Smith-Schuster elected to stick with the team he joined as a second-round pick in 2017 rather than start over elsewhere.
In his four-year career, JuJu has netted 308 receptions for 3,726 yards (64.2 rec YPG), 12.1 yards per catch, with 26 receiving TDs.
One of the best slot receivers in the NFL, Smith-Schuster generated the second-most receptions (76), the most receiving TDs (8), and fourth-most receiving yards (701) out of the slot among all players in 2020, via Next Gen Stats — eight of Smith-Schuster’s nine receiving TDs came from the slot.
This year we hope to see JuJu as a safety blanket for Big Ben as he continues to age.
A big season in a good WR room in Pittsburgh could prove Smith-Schuster is worth the big-money that didn’t materialize this offseason.
In the end, the pull to remain in Pittsburgh for another season was enough for JuJu to stiff-arm a couple of million dollars more and a fresh start.
Most people are sleeping early in the morning, but Max Radcliffe is waking up early and going to golf.
Radcliffe is a junior at BPHS. He plays in the...