Getty Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
NFL teams in the market for a free agent wide receiver in 2023 may be disappointed with the choices. That’s the sentiment of Pro Football Focus (PFF), which recently unveiled its list of the top free agent wide receivers expected to be available come March of next year.
“The Chicago Bears made an odd-looking deal before the trade deadline, sending a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for WR Chase Claypool — the first signal of how weak the upcoming free-agent receiver class is set to be,” offers PFF’s Ari Meirov. “Players could still be cut, and there’s always a possibility of blockbuster trades like we had last year. However, the way things look now, it’s a very weak class. The draft is also not considered as stacked as it has been in previous years.”
Chiefs’ JuJu Smith-Schuster Near the Top of the UFA Class
That said, Meirov & Co. have former Steelers second-round pick JuJu Smith-Schuster as one of the three best unrestricted free agent receivers available, alongside the likes of Jakobi Meyers (New England Patriots) and Darius Slayton (New York Giants), who headline a list that totals eight players.
As for Smith-Schuster, 26, he’s headed for unrestricted free agency for the third offseason in a row. Two years ago, he elected to return to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal when there were no long-term offers to his liking. In 2022 it was much the same story, and as he hoped, he signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs so he could play with head coach Andy Reid and All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“The strategy has worked for the most part, as he’s on pace to record the most receiving yards since his rookie year in 2018. His 334 yards after the catch is ninth among all receivers this season,” notes Meirov.
Thus far this season, Smith-Schuster has 52 catches on 71 targets for 688 yards and two touchdowns. That’s good for 13.2 yards per reception, the second-highest average of his six-year career, trailing only his rookie year, when he boasted a 15.8 yards per catch average, as per Pro Football Reference.
Meanwhile, Smith-Schuster has experienced injury challenges this year. Most notably, he missed a game after he was knocked unconscious on a controversial hit by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco. (The league subsequently fined Cisco $6,612 for unnecessary roughness.)
Yet a blockbuster long-term contract probably won’t be in the offing for the former USC Trojan, who has a 72.0 PFF grade this year, ranking him No. 35 among all NFL wide receivers.
“As one executive noted, Schuster appears to be in the best position when he’s the No. 2 option on a team,” concluded Meirov.
JuJu Smith-Schuster to Return to the Steelers?
That’s one reason why it seems doubtful the Steelers will be interested in bringing back Smith-Schuster. Not only do the Steelers already have a 1-2 wide receiver combo of Diontae Johnson and rookie George Pickens, the team will have just absorbed a $5.6 million dead cap hit left over from his 2021 contract.
Also, one has to wonder if injuries — like the dislocated shoulder that caused him to miss all but five regular-season games in 2021— will limit his availability and effectiveness as he moves into his late 20s.
Finally, Smith-Schuster was undeniably a huge fan-favorite for the first two or three years of his Steelers career. But he became a lighting rod for controversy during the back half of his time in Pittsburgh, with many fans unhappy with his pre-game logo dancing, post-game TikTok’s and off-field antics, which may or may not have been a distraction that provided added motivation for Pittsburgh’s opposition.