A report came out earlier this week by New England Patriots insider Greg Bedard that former Pittsburgh Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster was “not a fit” in New England after just one season with the team. Bedard added that he would be surprised if Smith-Schuster was on the team much longer. Appearing on 93.7 The Fan, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly said he thinks the Steelers could potentially be interested in a reunion.
“They’d probably give him a call,” Kaboly said. “I mean, at this point, you gotta look at anybody. At this point, there’s not a lot of people that are gonna come free at this time in the year. You’re basically gonna have to trade for somebody. If you’re gonna cut somebody, it’s gonna be still iffy,” Kaboly said on The PM Team.
Kaboly said Smith-Schuster could be an amped-up Allen Robinson in the slot for the Steelers. While he broke out early in his career, his role changed a bit toward the end of his tenure with the Steelers. Working as a big slot, Smith-Schuster had 97 receptions for 831 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2020.
He’s not that same caliber of player at this point, as injuries have taken a toll on his career, but there’s a spot for him in Pittsburgh’s receiver room that’s lacking behind George Pickens. The only question is whether or not he really would play in the slot instead of outside, as the Steelers have rookie Roman Wilson, who seems slated to get the majority of the reps in the slot for the Steelers.
While Smith-Schuster embraced his time in Pittsburgh and was a fan favorite while doing a lot on the field for the Steelers, it’s tough to imagine a reunion. He’s not the same player he once was, and the fit just feels a little wonky. Now, if New England releases him, he likely isn’t going to get all that much money on the free agent market coming off a season where he had just 29 receptions for 260 yards, so maybe the Steelers will kick the tires on a cheap deal. The Steelers wide receiver room as a whole isn’t anything special, and maybe Smith-Schuster could recapture some of that old magic and be a productive player.
Obviously, the Patriots have to release him first, and I have a hard time seeing that happen until final cuts or at least closer to training camp as the team looks to get a full picture of their receiver room. By then, this could be a moot point if the Steelers make a trade for another receiver, but given Smith-Schuster’s history in Pittsburgh and potential availability, the idea of a reunion is definitely something to monitor.
