At least one national outlet is spit-shining the Steelers’ retention of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster during the NFL’s free-agency period.

NFL.com writer Gregg Rosenthal called the decision “one of the best contracts given out so far.”

“…the Steelers know better than any team the 24-year-old receiver is more than worthy of a one-year, $8 million contract. The Steelers valued JuJu so much they reportedly let another starting veteran (cornerback Steven Nelson) look for a trade out of town to make room on their cap-strapped roster.

It seems like JuJu is among the most misunderstood players in the NFL. Yes, Antonio Brown was right that his ex-teammate isn’t a true No. 1 receiver. But if you need someone to make a tough grab over the middle, block in the running game or break a tackle to pick up a first down, there are few more capable than Smith-Schuster. He has the reputation of a diva because he’s good at social media, but his play would fit in any era of football. With QB Ben Roethlisberger presumably in his final year in Pittsburgh, the Steelers’ offense may as well go for it.”

Well, they better “go for it” a lot. Especially on fourth down. That way, the Steelers recently depleted defense may not have to come on the field quite as often.

Look, if Rosenthal is speaking specifically about the value of the contract that Smith-Schuster signed, it’s obviously a score for the Steelers. They are keeping the team’s receptions leader, first-down leader, co-leader in touchdowns and best blocking receiver for an additional year at $8 million with only $2.4 million counting against the cap for 2021.

As critical as I have been toward Smith-Schuster for his ill-advised logo dances, his ill-timed “Browns is the Browns” comments and his social media obsession, I still think he’s a good receiver.

At those numbers, there is definitely a lot of cost-benefit in the contract.

But the problem with what Rosenthal is doing here is that he is looking at keeping Smith-Schuster within the vacuum of the contract itself.

He glossed over the connection to Nelson’s departure, which became official Tuesday via his unconditional release after a trade partner wasn’t discovered.

I know, I know. Smith-Schuster has voidable years at the end of his deal. They also brought free agents Joe Haeg (Tampa Bay, offensive line) and Miles Killebrew (Detroit, ILB/ST) on board. Smith-Schuster’s signing and Nelson’s release aren’t a true dollar-for-dollar match and directly correlated.

Yeah. I got it. I heard it a thousand times. But I also know that the decision to trade or cut Nelson didn’t manifest until the market plummeted for Smith-Schuster and he fell back into the Steelers’ price range. And I also know they previously let go a less expensive player in Vince Williams at the outset of free agency.

So if the plan genuinely was to drop Nelson all along, why not make a move on his deal before Williams? And why not rework and add on voidable years to the contract of Nelson, or other departing free agents such as Mike Hilton or Tyson Alualu?

Let’s not be Pollyanna about this. It’s a cap league. Every dollar between players is connected somehow. Nelson’s departure and Smith-Schuster’s return are related. To what degree your delicate Steelers fan sensibilities want to acknowledge, that is your decision.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to turn Nelson into the latter-day Mel Blount. He wasn’t as good in 2020 as he was in 2019. But he and Joe Haden still formed the best starting cornerback tandem we’ve seen in Pittsburgh in a long time.

And with the weakened pass rush looming due to the departures of Bud Dupree and the blitz capabilities of Mike Hilton and Vince Williams, the coverage game on the back end is going to have to be even better.

Again, everything is intertwined.

Was Smith-Schuster better at his job in 2020 than Nelson was at his? OK. You could argue that.

However, would the Steelers be deeper at wide receiver without Smith-Schuster than they are at cornerback without Nelson and Hilton? Obviously, yes.

And is it easier to find a capable possession receiver than it is a starting cornerback? No doubt. Especially here in Pittsburgh. Well, if roughly 30 years of history means anything.

To reiterate, in the strictest sense of what Rosenthal is getting at, he’s right. The Smith-Schuster contract is good value for the talents of the given player. But in the wider analysis of whether it’s something the Steelers should’ve done, I disagree.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)