Vonn Bell made it clear the Steelers wide receiver shouldn’t be dancing on the Bengals’ logo.
When an NFL player is in the news, it’s usually for either a good or bad reason. What would JuJu Smith-Schuster’s reasoning be at this point?
The Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver recently has become viral for his TikTok dances and trends on social media. Most recently, Smith-Schuster made headlines for dancing on the Buffalo Bills logo during program warmups.
The Bills’ defense let him know their thoughts by causing two turnovers in a 26-15 victory over the Steelers on Monday.
Now, another player is letting Smith-Schuster know upfront that if he dances again, he will pay for it on the field personally.
Cincinnati Bengals safety Vonn Bell told reporters Thursday that he and others are not a fan of the trend, calling it blatant disrespectful to both sides. Whether the team wins or loses, they’ll be sure to let him know their stance for all 60 minutes on Monday.
“It’s kind of disrespectful at the end of the day,” Bell said, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby. “But they’re on top right now so you can’t really say nothing right now. We just gotta go out there, between the lines, go out there and hit him and let him know where he stands.”
Does Smith-Schuster have a reason to keep dancing?
Despite the backlash from teammates and fans on social media, Smith-Schuster isn’t planning on stopping his dancing anytime soon. He credits it to his overall persona, stating that it’s part of his overall style of play and trash-talking mentality.
“One thing I’ll tell you guys, I’m not going to stop being myself,” Smith-Schuster said Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “I’m going to be the JuJu I came to be: authentic. TikTok is a new platform that I use to stay in touch with my fans and grow. This is something I’ve been doing since the start of the season, midseason.”
Drops have been a massive concern for the Steelers receivers during the team’s two-game losing streak. Smith-Schuster has been a culprit, dropping two last week against Buffalo and one against Washington in Week 14. And sure, he leads the team in receptions, but there’s only so much one receiver can do.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin downplayed the situation during the team’s press conference earlier this week. Basically, Smith-Schuster is on his own with whatever happens.
Keep your head on a swivel, JuJu. Mr. Bell is looking to ring yours.