With all the rumors surrounding Brandon Aiyuk recently, it’s clear the Steelers are interested in upgrading their wide receiver room before the season begins. And it’s easy to understand why since the team traded Diontae Johnson in March and never really added a replacement for him. With the odds leaning towards Aiyuk staying in San Francisco, the Steelers will need to pivot to another wide receiver option.
Enter JuJu Smith-Schuster.
I know some fans groaned when they read that and I understand that. Smith-Schuster is not on the level of Brandon Aiyuk and wouldn’t be as big of an upgrade to the room. However, I still believe there’s a solid wide receiver still inside of Smith-Schuster.
Steelers fans are very familiar with JuJu’s journey. A second-round pick of the Steelers in the 2017 draft, Smith-Schuster seemed destined for stardom after a sophomore campaign where he put up 111 receptions for 1426 yards and 7 touchdowns. The following two years didn’t reach that level, but Smith-Schuster was still solid, putting up 139 receptions for 1383 yards and 12 touchdowns over the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
JuJu Smith-Schuster could revive his career on the Steelers
Things started to go wrong for Smith-Schuster during that 2020 season, where his viral dancing videos on opposing team’s logos made him an easy target. He caught a lot of flack from Steelers fans and media and following an injury-riddled 2021 season, Smith-Schuster departed the Steel City for Kansas City. He had a resurgent 2022 season with the Chiefs, catching 78 balls for 933 yards and 3 touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl victory.
He left for the Patriots in 2023 and dealt with injuries and bad quarterback play, which led to another disappointing season. Smith-Schuster was released by the Patriots about a week ago and is looking for a new home. This is where the Steelers enter.
Unlike Aiyuk, Smith-Schuster would be very easy to acquire. He would be cheap and require no assets to pick up. He’s familiar with the city and with Mike Tomlin and would be a good fit in Arthur Smith’s system. He’s always been a willing blocker which is something that Smith values a lot in his wide receivers. Smith-Schuster is also still just 27 years old, meaning he’s still in his prime with some good football in him.
Assuming he can stay healthy, I think Smith-Schuster would be a great low-risk, high-reward signing for the Steelers. If he plays well on a one-year deal, you got a really good wide receiver for cheap and if he doesn’t, you didn’t give up the house for him and you move on. Regardless of what happens with Aiyuk, the Steelers should seriously consider bringing Smith-Schuster back to Pittsburgh.
