JuJu Smith-Schuster: 'I'm Going To Play Regardless If There's a Contract'

PITTSBURGH -- JuJu Smith-Schuster returned to Pittsburgh nearly a month before training camp to adjust to life with Ben Roethlisberger back on the field.

Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, the wide receiver and former second-round pick is prepared for a bounce-back season. In 2019, Smith-Schuster dealt with two backup quarterbacks and a knee injury that contributed to his worst statistical NFL season.

This year, he has Roethlisberger back, another wide receiver added to the mix in Chase Claypool, and his next contract riding on the line.

"As of right now, I'm not worried about that," Smith-Schuster told reporters on Monday. "More so just playing ball. With everything going on right now, you never know what's going to happen. For me, I'd love to be a Steeler, but at the end of the day, I'm here to play ball and win games for the team."

Smith-Schuster is entering his fourth season in Pittsburgh and has become the team's most experienced wide receiver. As the team added Claypool in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, there was some anticipation it meant the end of Smith-Schuster's time with the Steelers.

"At the end of the day, I want success for everybody," Smith-Schuster said. "We drafted a young guy, Chase Claypool, I'm super excited about him. His athleticism is amazing. I think for myself, if I make them better it makes me better and I compete. Like you said, age [I'm] probably still one of the youngest guys, but experience with the team that's where I come in the most. At the end of the day, like I said, I want everybody to be successful. If I make them better, it makes me work harder to keep my job. We just want to win games and do our thing."

But the depth at wideout doesn't mean it's a definite Smith-Schuster plays for a new team next season. He's letting his agent handle negotiations with the Steelers while focusing on contributing to the offense.

"I'm just here to play ball," he said. "I'm not going to be the type of guy who sits out or wait. I'm going to play regardless if there's a contract or not."

The fourth-year receiver changed his routine this offseason and focused on shedding weight to make himself leaner. When asked if we'll see anything different this year, Smith-Schuster said it's more than his physical change that'll boost his game this season.

"I would say this is probably the lightest I've been," Smith-Schuster said. "I've also been a little quicker. The tools that I have in my box this year is just doing my job. Knowing the playbook, knowing the defense, being able to be smart and play in situations like that."

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