The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a big blow during their Week 5 victory over the Denver Broncos, as star wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered what is reported to be a season-ending shoulder injury. In the second quarter, he took a handoff and was met in the open field by safety Kareem Jackson, who delivered a vicious blow.
The Steelers — especially quarterback Ben Roethlisberger — will surely miss their Pro Bowl wideout moving forward. Roethlisberger told reporters on Wednesday that he’s hurt because Smith-Schuster won’t be lining up out wide for the remainder of the season. The veteran QB even spoke with Smith-Schuster’s mother.
“It’s awful,” Roethlisberger said, via Matt Freed of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “And I’ll speak selfishly, I’m hurt because I miss that guy. I mean, what he brings to this team — his energy, his excitement, the leadership. It sucks, it really does. And I’m not even the one hurt. I spoke to him on Sunday night, I felt his pain through the phone, speaking to his mom as well. It’s just sometimes things aren’t fair and we don’t know why they happen, and a guy that has given so much and a guy that means so much to this team and to me specifically, it’s not fair.”
Smith-Schuster did not record a catch on Sunday, but did rush twice for a gain of six yards. In five total games, he caught 15 passes for 129 yards and also rushed three times for 9 yards and a touchdown.
With Smith-Schuster out, the Steelers will lean even more on Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and James Washington. Pittsburgh also reportedly plans on bringing in former Houston Texans receiver Anthony Miller, who is a former second-round pick with potential.
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