Ben Roethlisberger: ‘You can't replace JuJu’ in Steelers offense

One particular four-word answer said it all with regard to Ben Roethlisberger’s feelings about the potential season-ending loss of his longest-tenured wide receiver.

“You can’t replace JuJu,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday, the day JuJu Smith-Schuster was scheduled to have surgery on his right shoulder that was to land him on the injured reserve list.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ veteran quarterback, Roethlisberger long has been open about his affection for Smith-Schuster, who twice over his first four seasons led the Steelers in receptions and twice made a team-record 97-yard catch.

Roethlisberger advocated for the Steelers to re-sign Smith-Schuster when he was set to hit free agency this past offseason. Wednesday, Roethlisberger described his own feelings about Smith-Schuster’s injury as “hurt.”

“I’m hurt because I miss that guy,” Roethlisberger said before practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “I mean, what he brings to this team is energy is excitement, leadership. It (stinks). It really does. And I’m not even the one (injured).

“I mean, I’m I spoke to him on Sunday, and I just felt his pain through the phone. Speaking to his mom as well. It’s just sometimes things aren’t fair. We don’t know why they happen. (Especially) to a guy that has given so much and the guy that means so much to this team, and to me specifically, it’s not fair.”

“When you talking about losing a guy like JuJu and how he functions in the framework of our offense, usually you’re talking about multiple people assuming the role in some form of fashion, particularly in the short term,” @Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.https://t.co/RfkK1Dt77n

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) October 13, 2021

Roethlisberger, in some form, spoke about each of the Steelers’ other wide receivers and tight ends, a group from which some will have increased roles and opportunities for production in the stead of Smith-Schuster. When healthy, Smith-Schuster played nearly every down and was Roethlisberger’s favorite target the past two seasons on third downs.

“It’s a big opportunity for a lot of people,” Roethlisberger said. “For Ray-Ray (McCloud), for James (Washington). Cody (White) is going to get this shot, I’m sure. We’ve needed guys, too, because it seems like every week one of the (receivers) has been (out because of injury this season), and so moving forward now without JuJu, we’re going to need everyone to be healthy as much as they can be every week.

“We’re going to have to utilize a lot of people in their positions.”

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