JuJu Smith-Schuster ready to lead young group of Steelers receivers

[polamalubeast]

When JuJu Smith-Schuster joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, he was the youngest player in the NFL and trailed Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant on the depth chart.

When Smith-Schuster stepped onto the fields at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex this week for the start of organized team activities, he still was the youngest wide receiver on the roster. But at just 22 years old, he entered as the unquestioned leader of his position group.

Is he ready for the responsibility?

“You’d have to ask him,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “But I think he is.”

So does Smith-Schuster, whose 30 games played with the Steelers are tied with Eli Rogers for the most among receivers on the 91-man roster.

“With the experience I’ve had at this point, age is just a number,” Smith-Schuster said Wednesday. “I’ve played enough games under my belt that I’ll be able to take on this. It’s another challenge I have to deal with.”

The messy divorced that led to Antonio Brown getting traded to the Oakland Raiders – one year after Bryant was dealt to the same destination – elevated Smith-Schuster to the top of the pecking order among Roethlisberger targets.

Smith-Schuster showed in his second season that he can carry the torch. Smith-Schuster was named the Steelers MVP, as voted on by his teammates, and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He led the Steelers with 111 catches for 1,426 yards.

read more

https://triblive.com/sports/smith-sc...ers-receivers/

[AtlantaDan]

Apparently the Steelers are going to give some guidance to JuJu on how he should be the new lead receiver

It's pretty clear: Steelers don't want JuJu Smith-Schuster to become the next Antonio Brown

JuJu Smith-Schuster politely declined an interview request Wednesday afternoon following practice.

“I’m going to talk tomorrow,” he said before walking off to the locker room.

About 15 minutes later, a representative from the Steelers media relations department let reporters know that Smith-Schuster was back on the field and available for interviews. Smith-Schuster was accommodating after he was escorted back onto the field. He answered questions about his relationship with Antonio Brown, about his new role as the No. 1 receiver and even a few about his French bulldog.

At the end, before he again walked off to the locker room, he hinted at who was behind his change of heart.

“When you guys see Ben tomorrow, tell him I came out here and did an interview,” Smith-Schuster said. “He said I was trending to that one-day [a week] interview guy

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...s/201905220140

Watching this team try to provide less latitude to some of the more high profile players is going to be an ongoing subplot this season

[polamalubeast]

[BlackAndGold]

Crowd chanting "F*** AB"

[86WARD]

Lol. Where is that?

[hawaiiansteeler]