JuJu Smith-Schuster Making 'Every Game, Every Day, Special' With Ben Roethlisberger

PITTSBURGH -- JuJu Smith-Schuster is playing what could be his final year with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 2017 second-round pick's contract will end following the 2020 season, leaving Smith-Schuster and the Steelers to figure out the wide receiver's future. In what might've been his final season opener with the Steelers, Smith-Schuster caught six passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns.

Last season, Smith-Schuster recorded his worst statistical campaign of his career. Playing in only 12 games due to injury and catching a career-low in passes and receiving yards, he admitted he came into Week 1 with extra motivation.

"Being able to play with Ben [Roethlisberger] and coming into this season, I had a chip on my shoulder saying, 'I have to come out and prove myself,'" Smith-Schuster said. "And I feel like I've done that before but every year, this is going to be the best year of my years playing football. It was great to have everybody out there, everybody healthy, and just play ball again."

Smith-Schuster's biggest play of the evening might have come when he recovered a Benny Snell Jr. fumble. Smith-Schuster fought through a pile of New York Giants defenders, saying, in the moment, "My left knee was about to bend. My finger was twisting the opposite way."

On Wednesday, Ben Roethlisberger praised Smith-Schuster for diving back into the pile, saying, "To me, that just shows what kind of a team guy he is."

Smith-Schuster was then asked what it meant to hear Roethlisberger speak about his performance.

"It means a lot coming from a guy like [Roethlisberger], who's a great dude," Smith-Schuster said. "When I see something like that, I never second-guess or even think about not jumping in there and getting the ball. I want to win any possible way. Contract year, not contract year, I want my team to win. We all want to win a world championship and that's my end goal."

Smith-Schuster said he and the other offensive players in the Steelers locker room make sure the 38-year-old quarterback is able to stay young. Roethlisberger is the oldest member of the offense on a team with one of the youngest receiving cores.

"We keep him young with TikTok, social media, YouTube. Pretty much give him the whole sha bam of how we get down," Smith-Schuster said. "But we also play up to his standards. Doing our job too."

Smith-Schuster said he hopes to keep this relationship with Roethlisberger going as long as possible. During their two full seasons on the field together, they've accounted for 2,343 passing yards and 14 touchdowns.

"I want to have a long relationship with Ben," Smith-Schuster said. "Ben's been playing this game for so long. He's accomplished everything that I've dreamed of. And I don't know how long I have with him, but I'll make every game, every day, special with him."

The fun-loving receiver hopes he can, one day, get Roethlisberger to help during a touchdown celebration or co-star in one of Smith-Schuster's famous TikTok videos.

But even Smith-Schuster knows he probably has to wait for that moment.

"One celebration I want to do with him is called the Trust Fall," he said. "It's very simple, but it's something that's saying QB1 can trust his wideouts. One day when we're up by 50 we'll be able to do one."

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.

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