Even more than most Steelers, JuJu Smith-Schuster likely could be anywhere in the world as he prepares for another season, but he’s here in Pittsburgh as the team goes through OTAs on the South Side.
That’s probably a good thing as he tries to figure out exactly who he is and what he’ll look like — on and off the field — in 2021. Is he a tough, physical slot receiver willing to run over defenders for an extra yard? Or is he a true No. 1 wideout, lining up on the outside and making splash plays downfield? And what color is his hair these days, anyway?
Maybe it’s not a full-blown identity crisis for the longest-tenured Steelers pass-catcher, but Smith-Schuster is back with the only franchise he’s ever known on a one-year, $8 million deal that will cost just $2.4 million against this season’s salary cap. Most NFL players shut it down when questions about their contract come up, but, as we’ve seen time and time again, Smith-Schuster isn’t most players.
He’s spoken openly all offseason about his options, or lack thereof, this year in free agency. And he doesn't mind disclosing that it came down to the Steelers, Chiefs and Ravens for his services, all offering similar one-year deals but with more money possible in incentives. Smith-Schuster admitted Wednesday that everyone has a price, but for him, it appears that price is more than what two AFC rivals were offering.
“For me, a couple million’s not — I guess for some people it’s different, but I’m looking at the bigger picture,” Smith-Schuster said, displaying his bright pink hair on a Zoom call, shortly before homing in on the very small picture. “I already knew if I went to Baltimore, fans would destroy me from the inside and out.”
OK, so an extra million or two isn’t enough to make Smith-Schuster abandon ship, but what exactly made him stay? The 24-year-old who’s always vibing with his 3.3 million followers @juju on Instagram mentioned his brand, naturally, but there also seems to be a football-first reason for returning to the Steelers, and it goes beyond playing another year with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
When asked broadly about how he wants to improve his game in his fifth season, Smith-Schuster answered concisely.
“Playing more outside,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Smith-Schuster explained it as a goal to diversify his skill set, and later he noted that he’ll still be utilized on the inside at times. But he also spent much of his post-practice interview discussing a desire to cash in on a projected spending frenzy when the NFL salary cap bounces back up next offseason. He’ll likely need an increase in production to do that, and perhaps at this point of his career he’s had enough of hauling in 3-yard passes, putting his head down and trying to stiff-arm tacklers.
Sure, there might be a sense of loyalty he feels toward the organization that drafted him, the staff that developed him and the quarterback who has always publicly lauded him. And there’s undoubtedly a familiarity, with his teammates and his coaches, but there’s a new offense being installed. Matt Canada has replaced Randy Fichtner as the play-caller, and while he isn’t totally wiping the slate clean, Smith-Schuster is taking a bit of a risk that he’ll still gobble up touches among an evolving supporting cast.
“I think a lot of people were expecting him not to come back — not because he didn't want to, but because of the cap space situation,” said fellow receiver Chase Claypool, who may have designs on becoming this team’s top target. “We all knew he really wanted to come back, we just didn’t know if it was possible. When he came back, I was excited because not only is he a good friend, a good player, but just a good teammate, too. He does a lot for us.”
And he said the good-teammate thing on the topic of having so many mouths to feed on offense. Smith-Schuster compared this Steelers group to the Chiefs unit that won the Super Bowl two years ago, a run that led to mega deals for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Tyreek Hill.
If they win, everyone will get paid, Smith-Schuster acknowledged. Of course, he had the chance to go join that very core in Kansas City and contribute to the victories while also trying to get himself a lucrative long-term deal somewhere. Instead, he stuck with what he knows. The major story now is whether he’ll keep being himself or show the world something new — and not just on top of his head.
“I kind of like it. I’m done dyeing my hair,” Smith-Schuster said with a grin. “I think if I dye it one more time, it’s probably going to fall out. So I’ll stick with it now, and hopefully we’ll see where it takes us.”
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: June 9, 2021, 7:10 p.m.
