Juju Smith-Schuster impressed by Dallas Cowboys' facilities
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has been in Pittsburgh ever since the Steelers selected him in the second round, with the 62nd-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, but his time with the Steelers could be coming to an end this season.
Following the expiration of his rookie contract, Smith-Schuster signed a one-year deal with the Steelers, worth $8,000,000, and is now set to hit free agency next month. Soon, the 2018 Pro Bowl selection will be free to sign wherever he desires, and after a recent visit to Dallas, he came away impressed with the Cowboys.
Smith-Schuster wasn’t actually there for an official free-agency visit, according to Pro Football Talk; instead, he visited the Cowboys’ facility to shoot a commercial. Shortly thereafter, Smith-Schuster raved about the “amazing” environment that the franchise provides for its players, and he added that the Steelers don’t quite have the luxury of such high-quality facilities.
“It’s unbeatable,” Smith-Schuster said of the Cowboys’ facility, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “The Steelers are still working on trying to get out of the wooden locker rooms. And over here, it’s very prestige. Oh, they’ll definitely hear this. I want them [the Steelers] to hear this.”
Smith-Schuster had the opportunity to sign with several other franchises last offseason, but he decided to stay with Pittsburgh on a one-year deal instead. Ultimately, things didn’t quite go as planned; he played in five regular-season games before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury, which required surgery, on Oct. 10 against the Denver Broncos. He was presumed to be out for the season, but he made a surprisingly early return to play on Jan. 16 for the Playoffs, recording five catches for 26 yards in the Steelers’ first-round Playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Overall, he finished the season with just 15 receptions for 129 receiving yards and no touchdowns.
It’s certainly not a given that Smith-Schuster will leave the Steelers, despite recent social media posts suggesting otherwise. Smith-Schuster reportedly posted on his Instagram story on Monday, “It’s been real, Pitt!” accompanied with a video of a moving truck outside presumably his apartment complex. However, Smith-Schuster then emphasized that he wants to stay with the Steelers, if that’s at all possible.
“I’ve said it before and have the same stance: I’d love to be Pittsburgh for life,” Smith-Schuster wrote on Twitter, in part. “I hope we can make this happen this offseason and I want to be part of this franchise’s return to glory. It’s not a matter of if, but when, and I hope I’m wearing the black and gold, celebrating a Super Bowl with these fans, when it happens.”