They grow up so fast. It was only late 2017 that JuJu Smith-Schuster wasn’t even old enough to step into a casino legally, and he didn’t yet have a driver’s license.
Now, as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2020 training camp began in earnest Monday, what could be Smith-Schuster’s final season with the team got underway.
With one season remaining on his rookie contract, the Steelers’ No. 1 receiver is eligible for a multiyear extension, per a team policy that also binds him to signing one prior to the regular-season opener. With that game four weeks away, has there been any progress between the Steelers and Smith-Schuster regarding an extension?
“That’s between my agent and the Steelers,” Smith-Schuster said during a video conference call with media Monday. “At the end of the day, I’m just here to play ball. I’m not going to be the type of guy who sits out. … I’m going to play regardless of if there’s a contract or not.”
The NFL’s youngest player as a rookie, Smith-Schuster through 2018 had the fifth-most receptions for any player in his first two seasons in NFL history (169). He also was tied for the fourth-most 100-yard receiving games in that stretch (11) and 10th-most receiving yards (2,343).
But 2019 was a significant disappointment in terms of his production. With running mate Antonio Brown traded away the previous March, franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger limited to six quarters because of elbow surgery and injuries plaguing him, Smith-Schuster finished with 42 catches for 552 yards and three touchdowns.
He did not lead the team in any category, making many wonder how the Steelers could justify awarding him a contract commensurate with being a No. 1 WR.
“As for that right now, I’m not worried about (a new contract),” Smith-Schuster said. “It’s moreso just playing ball. With everything going on now, you just never know what will happen. Just for me, I would love to be a Steeler, but at the end of the day I am here to play ball and win games for the team and the organization.”
JuJu Smith-Schuster on the 2019 season with no Ben and no AB and his injury pic.twitter.com/drEBPajYl4
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 17, 2020
The market for wide receivers has exploded to the point that 10 signed contracts that average at least $16.2 million per season (led by Julio Jones’ $22 million average annual value).
In March, 26-year-old Amari Cooper signed a five-year, $100 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys that included $60 million in guarantees. That was almost identical to a deal that Michael Thomas and the New Orleans Saints inked last September.
Smith-Schuster’s agent, Kim Miale, surely is using those contracts as a basis for any negotiations she is having or will have with the Steelers.
Smith-Schuster said he reported to Pittsburgh a month prior than was required under the terms of this unique coronavirus-impacted training camp.
“I don’t think I did it for a contract,” he said. “It’s moreso that like every year I learn something new, and I try to become better a player for the team.”
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