This offseason was always going to lead to changes for the Pittsburgh Steelers, because thee contract situation for several key members of the roster was always going to make that the case.
The pandemic-fueled salary cap constraints made that worse and then the way the Steelers entered the off-season after an embarrassing loss in the AFC Wild Card Round to the Cleveland Browns will likely lead to even more changes and has put fans on edge, wondering where their beloved franchise is headed in the future.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is one of the team’s 19 unrestricted free agents, and despite previously saying he wished to remain in Pittsburgh, the 24-year-old receiver opened up further speculation that he’s aware his free agency may lead him out of Pittsburgh while taking questions from fans during a live Twitch session on Friday night.
Users are able to wear different skins during Twitch sessions, and Smith-Schuster decided to have some fun by incorporating skins of the uniforms of the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints.
That comes just a few days after former the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that he could be looking to play in a bigger market in an effort to strengthen his personal brand, which was then quickly disputed by Smith-Schuster in a tweet.
With the possibility of the Steelers moving on from Smith-Schuster very likely, both because the team having so much to worry about contractually this offseason and the fact the front office has a proven track record of developing receivers, it’s possible the 2020 season ended a four-year career in Pittsburgh for the fun loving, often controversial young receiver.
If the 2020 season was Smith-Schuster’s last with the Steelers, he finished with 97 receptions and a career-high nine receiving touchdowns, but that only totaled 831 yards, mostly due to a career-low 8.6 yards per catch.