JuJu Smith-Schuster Takes "Significant Discount" To Return To Pittsburgh, Leaves Lamar Jackson In The Dust
JuJu Smith-Schuster is returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It's a bit of a surprise to see that Smith-Schuster also reportedly took "significantly less money" to return to the team after a hard push from the Jets and Ravens.
So much for every receiver wanting to play with Lamar. Is this anything for Baltimore to worry about? I think so.
It helps to have the TikTok star on board for what's likely the last hurrah for future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. But the biggest stories here are how the Jets whiffed with a better offer and that the Steelers star receiver passed on Baltimore.
Is this pivot back to a 39-year-old Big Ben for less money any indication of what receivers around the league think of Lamar Jackson? That's actually likely, even though they won't admit it publicly. After all, JuJu'd presumably receive more money in Baltimore or New York--yet he chose to be part of Ben Roethlisberger's going away tour instead. Sounds like he doesn't believe in Lamar.
How often do we return to our old jobs, leaving several more lucrative offers on the table? When that happens, there's something wrong with the new gig. The New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens scare star receivers to the point that they're leaving money on the table to sign elsewhere, and that should worry those franchises.
According to league executives, this receivers market is "incredibly slow," so we'll see where the rest of these receivers land. Let's keep our eyes on Baltimore.