Michael Reaves/Getty Images Chase Claypool and JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers react after Claypool's touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 22, 2020.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen a handful of unrestricted free agents leave town this week, but wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster will not be one of them.
On Friday afternoon Smith-Schuster indicated that he will be staying in Pittsburgh—it’s a one-year contract according to Adam Schefter—by sharing the following video clip, one that Steelers players (including Cameron Heyward) have utilized before to reveal that they are remaining in Pittsburgh.
This is my home, they’re gonna need a wrecking ball to take me outta here! PITTSBURGH I LOVE YOU, LET’S GO!!!!! 💛🖤💛🖤
JuJu Smith-Schuster’s Contract: The Numbers
According to Field Yates, NFL Insider for ESPN, Smith-Schuster’s one-year contract includes a $7 million signing bonus and $1 million base salary and four voidable years.
JuJu Smith-Schuster’s contract has a $7M signing bonus, $1M base salary and four void years.
Pittsburgh pushes more money into future years to squeeze him in under the cap.
That means that the organization is pushing some of the financial liability into the future, much like it did with the new contract of franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, which includes four voidable years to spread out the salary cap hit.
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Ravens Made a ‘Hard Push’ to Sign Smith-Schuster
Notably, Smith-Schuster appears to have had better offers from other NFL teams, including multi-year contract offers.
According to the aforementioned Schefter, the Baltimore Ravens “made a hard push to sign him and he wound up taking significantly less money to go back to the Steelers.”
Here’s the interesting part on Steelers’ WR JuJu Smith-Schuster’s one-year deal with Pittsburgh: the Ravens made a hard push to sign him and he wound up taking significantly less money to go back to the Steelers, per sources.
In fact, if a response to a tweet from Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey is any indication, Smith-Schuster had “a lot of [Ravens players] and coaches calling” him this week, encouraging him to “come to the other side.”
Yet the Ravens and Steelers weren’t the only teams who offered one-year contracts. According to Taylor Bisciotti of NFL Network, the Kansas City Chiefs proffered a one-year deal with $3 million in incentives, close to the $4 million in incentives presented by Baltimore.
Sources tell me these were the other offers
KC 8 mill with 3 mill incentives
Steelers 8 mill
Baltimore 9 mill 4 incentives
JuJu Smith-Schuster’s ‘Secret Suitor’
Finally, JuJu Smith-Schuster also had what Schefter described as a “secret suitor,” that being the Philadelphia Eagles, who apparently offered him a multi-year contract, though there’s no indication that the Eagles courted him as hard as, say, the Ravens.
Smith-Schuster Takes to Social Media
In the wake of the news, which was officially announced by the Steelers late on Friday afternoon, Smith-Schuster took to social media and left Steelers fans with the following messages:
Pittsburgh, you’ve had my back for 4 years. I got yours.
Can’t say it enough, I love you Pittsburgh. Came in here a young 20 year old and you guys embraced me from the moment I got here. So much love. Had my back thru everything, all the struggles and success. So hard to leave. See you this Fall in Heinz WE’RE GOIN CRAZY!!!
Last but not least, he also replied to a “family ties” tweet from fellow Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool, one that tags other players from Pittsburgh’s offense, including former Steelers fourth-string quarterback Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges, who recently signed a futures contract with the Los Angeles Rams.
Steelers Free Agency Scorecard
JuJu Smith-Schuster was Pittsburgh’s second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of USC, and to date he has 308 career receptions for 3,726 yards and 26 touchdowns.
The rising fifth-year wide receiver is the fourth Steelers UFA who has re-signed with the team this week, following in the wake of cornerback Cameron Sutton, defensive lineman Chris Wormley and offensive tackle Zach Banner.
In the meantime, the Steelers have lost a handful of unrestricted free agents. For example, defensive lineman Tyson Alualu returned to ‘where it all started,’ inking a two-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Also, slot cornerback Mike Hilton signed a four-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals and offensive lineman Matt Feiler went to the Los Angeles Chargers on a three-year deal. Most notably, outside linebacker Bud Dupree departed for Nashville, signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.
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Also Read:
• Former Steelers Tackle Kelvin Beachum Re-Signs With Cardinals
• Ravens Decline Option on Ex-Steelers Linebacker: Report
• Ex-Steelers Receiver Has ‘Agreed to Terms’ with Bills : Report
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Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster Rejects Division Rival, Stays in Pittsburgh