The Steelers looked like a team in the middle of turning things around on Sunday. But Pittsburgh’s offense will have to go the rest of the way without one of its key receivers.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, JuJu Smith-Schuster had season-ending surgery on his injured shoulder on Sunday night.
Smith-Schuster injured the shoulder while taking his second carry in the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s victory over Denver. Head coach Mike Tomlin had said following Sunday’s game that Smith-Schuster was being evaluated at a local hospital.
Smith-Schuster returned to the Steelers on a one-year, $8 million deal in the offseason. He’ll now hit the open market once again after registering 15 catches for 129 yards and three carries for nine yards with a touchdown.
UPDATE 1 p.m. ET: Rapoport has clarified his reporting to note that Smith-Schuster has not yet undergone surgery, but the decision to do so was made last night after an examination and MRI. Smith-Schulster is still expected to miss the rest of the 2021 season.