If receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster signs elsewhere as a free agent, he says he will still carry a part of Pittsburgh with him.
The future of Smith-Schuster, who becomes an unrestricted free agent Wednesday, may be unclear, but his professed love for the city doesn’t appear to be in doubt.
“No matter what happens this week, if I’m back or if I’m somewhere else, just know that I will never see Pittsburgh as just 4 (years) of my life, but a part of who I am,” Smith-Schuster wrote Sunday on social media. “I’ll always carry that tough, blue collar spirit for the rest of my life. I LOVE YOU PITTSBURGH #412”
His Instagram post had more than 210,000 likes within two hours of posting it Sunday afternoon.
In February, Smith-Schuster told TMZ he wanted to be a Steeler for life.
Smith-Schuster is considered one of the top free agent receivers on the market and could price himself out of Pittsburgh, which is strapped against the salary cap. His first contract with the Steelers was for four years and $4,195,779, while Spotrac.com puts his next contract value at $16.1 million per season.
