3 Pittsburgh Steelers who need to step up in 2020

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster

Part of why the Steelers felt confident in moving on from Antonio Brown for good was because JuJu Smith-Schuster stepped up and showed he could be the WR1 they’d be needing to replace if Brown wasn’t on the team anymore.

Smith-Schuster had an incredible 2018 season, which helped them make this decision. He had 111 receptions and 1,426 yards while dancing his way into the end zone seven times. It was quite the sophomore campaign from Smith-Schuster and 2019 was his opportunity to step up and show that he was the future WR1 for the Steelers.

Instead, he disappointed in that role, but in his defense, Pittsburgh had a bit of a quarterback carousel taking place between Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges. That led to the former USC product totaling just 42 receptions for 552 yards and three touchdowns.

Those weren’t quite the numbers the Steelers were hoping for, but again, the quarterback situation wasn’t ideal. If JuJu Smith-Schuster has a lackluster season with the preferred starter in the fold, then yes, it’ll be time for the organization to consider looking elsewhere.