Madden Monday: About a potential reunion between JuJu Smith-Schuster and the Steelers, 'Expectations would be too high'

The Pittsburgh Steelers still have a need at wide receiver. Former Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster might be looking for a job sometime soon. Could a reunion be possible in Pittsburgh? From a content standpoint, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X is completely on board.

“God, I hope so,” Madden exclaimed during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast.

Smith-Schuster doesn’t seem to be the Tik-Toking, logo-dancing headline maker he once was. Quite frankly, he doesn’t appear to be the receiver he once was either. Last year in New England, Smith-Schuster totaled a meager 29 catches for 260 yards and one touchdown. He only played in 11 games, starting seven.

Some of that was health. Smith-Schuster started 2023 spring workouts with a balky knee, then dealt with a concussion and an ankle injury. He was also stuck in the Patriots’ putrid offense. Now the Pats have tried to bulk up the receiver room by drafting Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. They also added K.J. Osborn to a depth chart that also includes Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte.

So, Smith-Schuster could be forced out. Should that happen, and if the Steelers were to pick him up, Madden sees plenty of room for entertainment.

“The fun part would be that fans here would expect him to be the JuJu he was when he left, and he is not. He’s too ravaged by injury. He’s just pretty much done,” Madden continued.

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Honestly, the JuJu that left wasn’t even the JuJu that Steelers fans fell in love with during his first two years in Pittsburgh. Over his final three years in Black and Gold, Smith-Schuster missed 15 games and totaled 1,512 yards. He posted 2,343 over his first two years alone.

“He always was destined to have a short career,” Madden said of the 27-year-old from USC. “If they brought him back, the expectations would be too high.”

At this point, acquiring Smith-Schuster would just be adding one more of the same type of player to a crowded but unimpressive WR room in Pittsburgh. Smith-Schuster would merely be another No. 3 or 4 type of receiver, along with the likes of Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Calvin Austin III, Quez Watkins, Marquez Callaway and Denzel Mims.

Although, what Madden theorized is that the Steelers may think Smith-Schuster still has enough in the tank to be the team’s third receiver and rookie Roman Wilson can begin his career as the No. 2.

“What they need is a (real) No. 2. And they are just going to keep throwing crap at the wall until they think they have one, and that might apply even when they don’t,” Madden added.

Also, in the podcast, Madden and I discuss the Pirates’ problems in Toronto, Bryan Rust’s comments about the New York Rangers, the decision to include Negro League statistics into the Major League Baseball record books, and the WNBA’s rough treatment of Caitlin Clark.

Listen: This week’s “Madden Monday” podcast courtesy of Altered Genius Brewing and the Barber School of Pittsburgh