JuJu Smith-Schuster Comments On Future With Steelers Heading Into Free Agency

After a miraculous season that you could almost make a movie about, specifically with the drama heading into Week 18's potential "kneel-down game", the Pittsburgh Steelers were ultimately upended by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs 42-21 in their Wildcard matchup this past weekend. As a result, the Steelers are eliminated from the playoffs, and they will now look forward to next season and beyond, and with that comes a lot of tough decisions. One of the more pressing decisions is what to do with Pro Bowl wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, who returned from injury for the playoffs after missing the majority of this past season after undergoing shoulder surgery. While once Pittsburgh's top receiver, the emergence of Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool has certainly diminished his value with the team, which was obviously amplified by his injury.

JuJu showed a lot of heart making his way back to the field after what was thought to be a season-ending injury and he made it clear that he didn't rush back as a sentimental sendoff to the fans, he plans on being in Pittsburgh if they will have him, and was very complimentary of the organization:

I love the city; I love the fans. I love coach (Mike) Tomlin. I love the coaches and my teammates, players, everyone from the media side to the training room. It's been unbelievable. My career here has been amazing. It would be nice to stay here and play with these guys and the same coaches. It would be nice to stay for another four years.

The Steelers organization is entering a new era, with Ben Roethlisberger announcing his retirement officially, and it will be interesting to see if Smith-Schuster fits in those long-term plans. If it's up to him, he'll be in black and gold for at least a few more years.