The player votes have now been counted and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has been voted the Pittsburgh Steelers Most Valuable Player for the 2018 season, the team announced on Thursday.
In his second NFL season, Smith-Schuster, who was selected by the Steelers in the second-round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of USC, has caught an AFC-best 106 passes for 1,389 yards and 6 touchdowns through 15 games played. His long touchdown on the season was 97 yards and came against the Denver Broncos in Week 11.
17 of Smith-Schuster’s 106 receptions so far this season have resulted in gains of 20 yards or more. Additionally, 22 of his receptions have come on third downs with 17 of those resulting in successful plays.
Obviously, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is the one who was most deserving of winning the MVP award again this year as he’s having a career year that includes him closing in on 5,000 yards passing. Roethlisberger already has a career high 33 touchdown passes this season to boot. It’s quite astounding that he’s only been voted team MVP just once to date and that was way back in 2009.
The following is the list of Steelers MVPs since 1969:
1969 – WR Roy Jefferson
1970 – DT Joe Greene
1971 – LB Andy Russell
1972 – RB Franco Harris
1973 – WR Ron Shanklin
1974 – S Glen Edwards
1975 – CB Mel Blount
1976 – LB Jack Lambert
1977 – QB Terry Bradshaw
1978 – QB Terry Bradshaw
1979 – WR John Stallworth
1980 – SS Donnie Shell
1981 – LB Jack Lambert
1982 – CB Dwayne Woodruff
1983 – PK Gary Anderson
1984 – WR John Stallworth
1985 – WR Louis Lipps
1986 – LB Bryan Hinkle
1987 – LB Mike Merriweather
1988 – LB David Little & CB Rod Woodson
1989 – WR Louis Lipps
1990 – CB Rod Woodson
1991 – LB Greg Lloyd
1992 – RB Barry Foster
1993 – CB Rod Woodson
1994 – LB Greg Lloyd
1995 – QB Neil O’Donnell
1996 – RB Jerome Bettis
1997 – RB Jerome Bettis
1998 – LB Levon Kirkland
1999 – LB Levon Kirkland
2000 – RB Jerome Bettis
2001 – QB Kordell Stewart
2002 – WR Hines Ward & LB Joey Porter
2003 – WR Hines Ward
2004 – LB James Farrior
2005 – NT Casey Hampton & WR Hines Ward
2006 – RB Willie Parker
2007 – LB James Harrison
2008 – LB James Harrison
2009 – QB Ben Roethlisberger
2010 – SS Troy Polamalu
2011 – WR Antonio Brown
2012 – TE Heath Miller
2013 – WR Antonio Brown
2014 – RB Le’Veon Bell
2015 – WR Antonio Brown
2016 – RB Le’Veon Bell
2017 – WR Antonio Brown
2018 – WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
