All three Pro Bowlers the Pittsburgh Steelers selected during the 2017 NFL Draft played inside of Acrisure Stadium this week. Two of them won—the only loser played twice, as a member of the home team. First it was third-round RB James Conner having a season-high game to help the 2-10 Arizona Cardinals beat his former team.
Just four days later, second-round WR JuJu Smith-Schuster hade his return to Pittsburgh with the 2-10 New England Patriots, making big plays and posting his highest yardage total of the year to help beat his former team.
Smith-Schuster was looking like the next great Pittsburgh wide receiver by the end of his second season in 2018, a Pro Bowl campaign in which he put up 1,426 yards on 111 receptions. Things didn’t go according to script thereafter, however, and he found himself out of town by 2022.
He won a Super Bowl that season with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, but has waded through a dismal season with a floundering Patriots team, both individually and collectively. Not so last night, however, catching four passes for 90 yards, in the process setting up a couple of touchdowns. Happy with the win, however, he was also grateful to be back in town.
“It was cool. It was awesome”, he said after the game, noting that he probably still has more Steelers jerseys than the team he currently plays for. “I honestly have so much love for the fans”.
Many, though, were ready to run him out of town, particularly during the height of his TikTok empire that featured him dancing on team’s centerfield logos before games. Many did not take kindly to that, including some of their opponents.
Somehow still just 27 years old, Smith-Schuster is a sage veteran now in his seventh season. He’s always been a player willing to do the dirty work, but can also step up when called upon, as he did last night supporting a young Bailey Zappe at quarterback.
It does feel as though his time with the Steelers will always be special to him, however, as it is for Conner.
“Honestly, this is a great organization”, he said, crediting owner Art Rooney II for “what he’s done with this team” and adding, “it was nice to be back”.
It’s always nicer when you win, of course, so both Conner and Smith-Schuster certainly had happy homecomings this week. Once a Pro Bowl duo for the Steelers in 2018, they are still doing their things elsewhere five years later.
I’m sure both of them had ample opportunity to catch up with some of their former teammates and coaches while in the city, though of course they had business to attend do. And both of them got the job done, playing key roles in defeating the Steelers.
In doing so, they have gravely threatened Pittsburgh’s chances of reaching the playoffs, but given the way they’ve played, it might be for the best. Meanwhile, neither the Cardinals nor the Patriots, and their three wins apiece, will be going anywhere, playing the role of spoiler with over a month left in the season.
