2 min read • March 15, 2022
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Juju Smith-Schuster, the Steelers' athletic slot receiver, had a rough final season with Ben Roethlisberger after a vicious hit by Kareem Jackson dislocated his right shoulder.
The 25-year-old missed the final 12 games of the season, but was able to return for the Steelers' Wild Card game against the Chiefs.
He finished that game with 5 catches for 26 yards and clearly wasn't 100%.
His dislocated shoulder with an indentation fracture shouldn't give him any trouble next season, said Dr. David Chao, ProFootballDoc.
Smith-Schuster nearly left Pittsburgh to join the Chiefs last offseason, but signed a one-year, $8 million to return to the Steelers.
Now he hits the open market and is a viable target for any team needing an established slot receiver.
The only other injury concern of his five-year career has been concussions. He has suffered three since 2017, with the latest coming in November 2019.
No two concussions are the same and the recoveries vary, but Smith-Schuster is likely susceptible to miss more time if he suffers another concussion, Chao said. However, that shouldn't hurt his value much.
Smith-Schuster earned nearly $4.2 million over four years from his rookie contract with the Steelers. He should be due for a long-term contract with his next team.
He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2018, with 111 catches for 1,426 yards and 7 touchdowns that season, but has seen his production dip slightly in recent years.
He had 42 catches for 552 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2019, then 97 catches for 831 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2020.
In just five games last season, he had 15 catches for 129 yards.
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