JuJu Smith-Schuster credits Ben Roethlisberger for helping guide him through “Rookie Mistakes”
By Mark Carman
JuJu Smith-Schuster credits Ben Roethlisberger for helping get his NFL career off to a strong start as he enters his fifth season with the Steelers.
The 2021 season could be the end of the line for both Ben Roethlisberger and JuJu Smith-Schuster in Pittsburgh. Their future is at best murky with Roethlisberger entering his 18th year as the Steelers starting quarterback and Smith-Schuster playing on a one year prove it deal.
However it ends up for Smith-Schuster going forward, he will be forever grateful his career started in Pittsburgh catching passes from Big Ben.
“People don’t understand when you get a vet quarterback like that, who I am happy to say I have had four years going into my fifth year with him my whole career, it is a blessing,” Smith-Schuster told FanSided’s Stacking the Box Podcast.
Smith-Schuster having affection for playing with Roethlisberger makes sense according to the numbers. In 2019 when Roethlisberger was only able to start two games due to injury, Smith-Schuster had his worst season catching only 42 passes.
He rebounded last year with 97 catches on 128 targets with Roethlisberger back healthy.
“He is a guy who makes your job a lot easier not just for me but for everyone around me,” Smith-Schuster said. “I would say if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t probably have the career that I have had.”
Health will be a key for Smith-Schuster, Roethlisberger and the Steelers like all teams this season. The added variable of COVID-19 could have an impact as well. Pittsburgh is one of the most highly vaccinated teams.
Smith-Schuster wanted to do his part to help himself and his team.
“If you are not vaccinated you have to get tested everyday and you cannot miss that test,” Smith-Schuster said. “The weight room is different when you can lift and cannot lift at certain times, being able to eat together and not eat together, but for myself I am just doing what’s best for my team. I don’t want to be a distraction and be the reason why I have close contact with guys because I am not vaccinated.”
Speculation will continue throughout the season and probably into next offseason even if Roethlisberger is healthy and productive whether or not he will keep playing. Smith-Schuster believes there is still plenty left in the Roethlisberger tank and is tired of the retirement talk.
“People have been saying that the last last last last five years and Ben still is Ben,” Smith-Schuster said. “He still does hat he does. That is not new.”
Smith-Schuster will be striving for a new contract this year getting all the help he can from Roethlisberger at least one more time.
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JuJu Smith-Schuster is partnering with SNICKERS and their “Rookie Mistake of the Year”program to reward fans during the NFL season who share examples of rookie mistakes they have made, because maybe they just needed a SNICKERS. To learn more, fans can head to snickersrookiemistakes.com or share their rookie mistake on social using #SNICKERSROOKIEMISTAKE.