JuJu Smith-Schuster went from small to… well, not very good.
This is not a warning. It is simply a reminder of how quickly and dramatically life can change in the NFL.
At 27, Smith-Schuster is no longer the Pizza Hut guy, the guy with the stolen bike, the guy from the high school prom or the TikTok guy. He doesn’t dance on opposition logos these days. He’s no longer cute or even relevant.
Smith-Schuster was just released by New England. He has knee problems. His career has imploded.
Smith-Schuster could be the guy for the practice squad. (On the other hand, what if the Steelers don’t get Brandon Aiyuk?)
Smith-Schuster dedicated himself to building his brand, perhaps even more than football, during his tenure with the Steelers from 2017-2021. But now he has no brand. Football was always 100% the cornerstone, and now that’s hanging by a thread.
Could he have focused more on football and played it with more dedication? Who knows? It probably wouldn’t have made a difference anyway.
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Smith-Schuster proved to be an average wide receiver and was initially a good sidekick for Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh, but never became the best receiver.
Was Smith-Schuster successful? By real-world standards, absolutely.
Smith-Schuster has earned $38 million so far. He won a Super Bowl ring with Kansas City. He made the Pro Bowl.
If you feel that he has not lived up to his potential, it may be because his potential was overestimated in the first place.
But as his performance declined, so did his visibility. His smile wasn’t quite as bright. Whether it’s delivery or DiGiorno, Smith-Schuster has to pay for pizza these days.
