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Juju Smith-Schuster Says He Wants to Be a Pittsburgh Steeler for Life

Wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster may have only been in the NFL for only a few years, but he’s confident he knows where he wants to spend his career.

The Pittsburgh Steelers star says he doesn’t see himself ever wanting to leave. He told TMZ Sports that, “At the end of the day, I want to have my legacy in Pittsburgh and retire there. I don’t want to leave.”

Juju Smith-Schuster is Hoping He’s a Steeler Forever

However, his contract expired this offseason and he will potentially be browsing around different teams. The Steelers will likely make him an offer, but other teams looking for a solid receiver may be willing to pay better. It all depends on whether or not the Steelers are committed enough to Schuster to want to match these offers from rivalry teams.

The odds of staying with the Steelers may be low for Smith-Schuster. According to an article on the NFL website, the Steelers may not be financially equipped to keep him. Right now the Steelers are $19 million over the salary cap of $180 million. So, some adjustments are a part of the picture.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger carries $41.25 of the salary cap himself, but he said he’s willing to work with the Steelers to restructure the budget.

“One thing about Big Ben is that I have that chemistry with him, so for them to even let him go or to even think about it wouldn’t be the best. I would love to play with Ben. I always tell him give me four years, but obviously, he’s a lot older, so we’ll see how that goes,” Smith-Schuster said to NFL.

Smith-Schuster Career so Far

Juju Smith-Schuster already holds a number of records for the franchise. He’s the youngest player to reach 2,500 career receiving yards. He’s also the first to have two offensive touchdowns of at least 97 yards.

Not to mention, he is one of the NFL’s most marketable players at the moment. He has made his name more popular through his love for esports and making pregame dancing TikToks. Smith-Schuster is known for an entertaining presence on YouTube, Twitter, and Twitch.

He was injured in 2019, but he participated in a “Thursday Night Football” stream with a popular streamer named TimTheTatman. Smith-Schuster also announced that he would be starting an esports team called Team Diverge. It would include content from other athletes as well as a gaming house in the future.

His 14 touchdowns and receiving yards, in addition to his off-the-field presence, make him a hot commodity. For his sake, hopefully the Steelers continue to feel that way as well.