All eyes in the NFL world are focused on Atlanta, where the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots will face off in Super Bowl LIII.
Don't tell that to JuJu Smith-Schuster, though, the Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver whose awe-inspiring on-field exploits and proudly-outgoing personality make him a glutton for attention.
Smith-Schuster, whose team missed the playoffs this season for the first time since 2013, made more headlines Wednesday by directing some very pointed criticism at division rival Vontaze Burfict of the Cincinnati Bengals during an appearance on “The Dan Le Betard Show with Stugotz.”
Here's Smith-Schuster on Burfict, via 247sports.com's Bryan Deardo:
“Playing against the Bengals, I keep my head on a swivel,” Smith-Schuster said. “[Burfict] is definitely a guy who is always looking to head hunt me.”
Burfict has been fined for dangerous hits and unsportsmanlike conduct on 11 separate occasions since entering the NFL out of Arizona State in 2012, a total amounting in over $400,000 worth of restitution to the league office.
His history with the Steelers is especially notorious. Burfict knocked Antonio Brown out of a playoff game with a dirty hit in 2015; randomly kicked fullback Roosevelt Knix one year later; and was fined $112,000 for a series of questionable hits in Cincinnati's Week 6 loss to Pittsburgh.
Asked if Burfict could be described as a “dirty player” or “cheat,” Schuster hardly minced words.
“Yeah, yeah man. He’s one of those guys that’s been doing it for a long time… I would say more so the dirty. I’ve watched his film and his tape. He's been a dirty player for a good amount of years. Obviously he's done stuff to the Steelers, [Brown] and Le'Veon [Bell].”
Burfict's playing career is reportedly in jeopardy after he suffered his seventh concussion in a late December loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Follow Us
Subscribe