From Emmanuel Sanders to Mike Wallace, the Steelers have a history of letting go of top wide receiver talent. I didn’t lump Antonio Brown in there for obvious reasons.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is in the final year of his contract, which begs the question of whether the Steelers will re-sign him or let him hit the free-agent market.
Multiple injuries and the loss of Ben Roethlisberger affected Smith-Schuster’s chances to produce as he did his first two seasons. With 2020 being a contract year, it’s expected that the receiver will return to form.
If the Steelers select a WR in this year’s draft and/or James Washington or Diontae Johnson have breakout seasons, it’ll be that much easier for the Steelers to bid adieu to Smith-Schuster.
Because of Smith-Schuster’s 2019 numbers, he doesn’t have much leverage to negotiate this offseason, and the Steelers have shown they don’t negotiate during the regular season. Smith-Schuster’s future with the Steelers will likely hang in the balance until the spring of 2021.
I would like to see the Steelers keep Smith-Schuster around, but if he has a career season in 2020, the price tag may be a bit too rich for the Steelers’ blood.
