Former Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster Likely To Get Call From Pittsburgh If Released

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin reportedly stated that he and the team are open to adding more talent to all position groups, including wide receiver. Wideout has been an enormous topic of discussion in the 2024 offseason for Pittsburgh, and there have been countless names thrown around that could potentially land there. A recent name floating around the Pittsburgh rumors is former wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who apparently may be getting released by the New England Patriots sometime soon. 

Smith-Schuster began his career by spending his first five years with Pittsburgh, then joined forces with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for a season. Smith-Schuster signed with the Chiefs on a small one-year deal, which ultimately would not keep him there for any longer. Although, he was able to account for 78 catches for over 900 yards with the Chiefs. After showing some signs of his old self, the Patriots decided to sign the wideout to a three-year deal at a value of $25.5.

Smith-Schuster's 2024 season, his first with New England, was a letdown. He only appeared in 11 games and caught 29 passes for 260 yards and one score. According to a Patriots' insider, Smith-Schuster is no longer "a fit" in New England, which summons the idea of a reunion in Pittsburgh. To Smith-Schuster's defense, he was catching passes from Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe in a broken Patriots offense all season.

After hearing Tomlin reveal that they will continually be open to adding talent, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly believes the team will give Smith-Schuster a call if he is let go by New England. Pittsburgh's current wide receiver room is already filled with guys like Smith-Schuster, which is a bunch of wide receiver three, four, or even fives. Kaboly, on 93.7 The Fan, shared his thoughts on the idea of a reunion between he and the Steel City. 

"They'd probably give him a call. I mean, at this point, you've got to look at anybody. At this point, there's not a lot of people that are going to come free at this time of the year."

Smith-Schuster's rookie season in 2017 consisted of 58 catches for over 900 yards and seven scores, which was the last year of the famous Killer Bs era. His sophomore season would be his breakout year, where he caught for 1,426 yards on 111 receptions for another seven touchdowns and earned a Pro Bowl selection. 

This would also famously end Antonio Brown's time with Pittsburgh. Smith-Schuster would go on to stay with the Steelers for another three years as one of the franchise's top receivers in the passing game. 

Steelers Would Have Competition For JuJu Smith-Schuster For Roster Spot

If the Steelers and Smith-Schuster decide to reunite, it won't be easy for the pass-catcher to get a lot of playing time. As mentioned previously, Pittsburgh already has a boatload of wideouts that will be fighting for spots on the depth chart. 

We can expect guys like George Pickens and Roman Wilson to get the most action out of the group, but who else remains? Smith-Schuster would be competing with Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Marquez Callaway and Quez Watkins.

Like Kaboly said, if Smith-Schuster hits the open market, he would likely be quite cheap. After the down year that he had, he won't be getting very much money anywhere. He wouldn't be a bad option to bring in as a possible depth wide receiver, and the Steelers love competition. Smith-Schuster was a fan favorite for most, and his departure after his first five years was somewhat painful.