It Sure Sounds Like Steelers Will Re-Sign JuJu Smith-Schuster
INDIANAPOLIS -- While Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert didn't say the team will definitely re-sign wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, it sure sounded as if he'd be back in a black and gold uniform next season.
Colbert was asked a number of times about the leadership the Steelers will need to find now that Ben Roethlisberger is retired. And instead of pointing to those already on the roster, Colbert's first name was his wideout.
"JuJu, we always admire," Colbert said. "You think he’s 32 years old and he’s 26. He’s that veteran in that very young room. What he did at the end or the year by coming back, putting his free agency issues aside, and trying to help us win a playoff game was huge. That was a huge step for him, but it wasn’t surprising, because he had done that previously in a previous year where he had some knee issues that he worked his way though and he made himself available to us."
The 25-year-old sets out to the free agent market for the second time, with much higher expectations than last spring. With over a $25 million salary cap jump, Smith-Schuster - even after a shoulder injury shut down most of his season - should see a larger contract this time around.
So, will that be the Steelers?
Well, Pittsburgh currently sits roughly $30 million under the salary cap, with the possibility of adding even more with restructures. But, truthfully, they don't need much more space.
Meaning Smith-Schuster doesn't need a special excuse to return to Pittsburgh. If they'll have him, and he'll have them, he'll be back.
"I think that’s exciting. It’s unusual," Colbert said. "We’ll try to make the best decisions that we can. We can do some things now that we haven’t been able to do at this time previously. Usually, we may have to cut a player. We may have to restructure to create. Right now, we don’t have to create room to take the next step. Can we still do that down the road? Sure. But right now, we don’t have to do it."
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