The Pittsburgh Steelers were treated to a nice surprise as they prepare to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Wildcard Weekend: JuJu Smith-Schuster returned to practice. The wide receiver has been out since October with a shoulder injury, returning just in time to possibly be available for the postseason.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Smith-Schuster is doing well on practice and is on pace to play against the Chiefs on Sunday.
Injury updates:
— No issues at all for #AZCardinals DL JJ Watt after yesterday’s practice, which went very well. He’s trending toward playing.
— No issues at all for #Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster after yesterday’s practice, which went well. He’s trending toward playing, too.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 14, 2022
In Smith-Schuster's absence, Diontae Johnson proved he has what it takes to be a lead wide receiver. He posted 107 catches, 1,161 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns, which all ranked near the very top of the NFL leaderboards. Having Smith-Schuster alongside him would be helpful for the Steelers' offense. Johnson spoke promisingly about how his teammate looked in practice.
Even though he would be incredibly rusty, Smith-Schuster would allow Pittsburgh to lean less on less reliable receivers like Chase Claypool and Ray-Ray McCloud. He has three 800-yard seasons under his belt and has built up chemistry with Ben Roethlisberger on the field.
Getting Smith-Schuster back would be huge for Pittsburgh, who may be without running back Najee Harris, who hasn't practiced all week due to an elbow injury. Smith-Schuster returning wouldn't offset the absence of Harris, who was hugely important to the Steelers' offense, but it would give Roethlisberger one more target in the passing game.
Surprisingly, Roethlisberger admitted that Pittsburgh doesn't stand much of a chance against Kansas City. With Smith-Schuster possibly being back, the Steelers will at least put up a better fight at Arrowhead Stadium.
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