WR JuJu Smith-Schuster hoping for late-season return to Steelers

He has missed four consecutive games and incurred a setback last week when he aggravated his knee injury in practice.

Still, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster hasn’t given up hope of returning for the final two weeks of the regular season.

“It all depends on how my knee feels when I go out and practice,” Smith-Schuster said Monday.

Smith-Schuster didn’t provide a timetable for a return to the practice field this week. The Steelers begin on-field preparations Wednesday for their penultimate game, which is Sunday at the New York Jets.

Smith-Schuster returned to practice last week but left practice early Thursday and did not practice Friday. He tested his knee with a series of runs before warmups Sunday night when the Steelers played the Buffalo Bills at Heinz Field.

“When you’re in that environment, you feel better, (with) the adrenaline that is running through your body,” Smith-Schuster said. “I thought I could have played, but at the same time, you have to be cautious and take it slow.”

The Steelers won their first three games without their Pro Bowl receiver and 2018 team MVP, but the offense generated a season-low 229 yards in the 17-10 loss to the Bills. After amassing 111 catches for 1,426 yards last year, Smith-Schuster has 38 catches for 524 yards in 10 games.

“My mind is telling me I want to go out there. My body is telling me I want to go out there, but I don’t want to go out there and mess it up to the point where I’m out for a whole another year because of my knee,” Smith-Schuster said. “I’m taking it slow and playing the game smart.”