Joe Sargent/Getty Images JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before a game against the Buffalo Bills on December 15, 2019.
Retired Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson has no trouble speaking his mind when it comes to NFL players and NFL-related issues. For example, he recently opined how he believes that Hall of Famers are discriminated against when it comes to NFL coaching jobs.
This weekend he took to Twitter and suggested that the Pittsburgh Steelers should pick up quarterback Josh Rosen and groom him to become Ben Roethlisberger’s heir apparent. (This was before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Rosen to their practice squad.)
Never mind that this idea was widely panned by Twitter users.
Woodson Blasts JuJu Smith-Schuster
The conversation took a turn when one Steelers fan suggested trading JuJu for a “high draft pick” to help obtain the draft capital needed to select a “young stud.”
To which Woodson responded:
“Seriously you can get no 1 draft pick [for] JuJu, all he wants to do is be on social media!”
That seems a bit harsh. After all, Smith-Schuster had an exceptional first two seasons in the NFL, taking a step back last year in the wake of injuries—his own and that of his quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.
Now Roethlisberger is back, and Smith-Schuster figures to be more motivated than ever, as he’s in a contract year and could cash in if he can put up big numbers this season.
Rod Woodson: Steelers Released the Wrong Quarterback
It’s worth noting, too, that Woodson’s tweet about Smith-Schuster wasn’t his only controversial take of the weekend.
Upon hearing that the Steelers had released third-string quarterback Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges to make way for the return of former Steelers QB Josh Dobbs, he wrote:
“I’m glad to see Josh is back in the BURGH now we have a backup QB but should have kept the Duck over Mason!”
One can certainly make the case that Hodges outplayed Rudolph last season, but it seems obvious that Rudolph has more upside potential than Hodges due to arm strength and physical skills.
And while Rudolph is already perceived to be a Captain Checkdown, reports indicate that he has improved dramatically compared to his first two training camps and he has expressed confidence that he can become a starting quarterback in the league. Meanwhile, some have compared Rudolph to Neil O’Donnell, who started for the Steelers for several years in the 1990s and took Pittsburgh to the Super Bowl in 1995.
Woodson played cornerback and safety in the NFL for 17 seasons as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders. He was also a standout punt and kickoff returner.
Josh Rosen was selected tenth overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to last season he was traded to the Miami Dolphins, who released him this past Friday, at which point he was signed by the Buccaneers, where he will get the opportunity to watch Tom Brady.
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Rod Woodson Offers Criticism of Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster