JuJu Smith-Schuster

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was emotional while speaking about his season-ending shoulder injury at an event for his foundation on Monday night.

“I sat there and I cried,” he said. “I cried all night. I cried because I love this game so much. More than anyone would know.”

Smith-Schuster underwent shoulder surgery Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the 2021 campaign after suffering the injury in a 27-19 Week 5 win over the Denver Broncos.

He addressed the surgery earlier this week on Twitter:

The injury occurred on a second-quarter run when the 24-year-old was taken down hard by Broncos safety Kareem Jackson.

It's a tough blow for the Steelers but more so for Smith-Schuster, who re-signed with Pittsburgh on a one-year deal during the offseason after turning down offers from other franchises, including the Kansas City Chiefs.

With the emergence of Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson out wide, it's unclear if the Steelers will show interest in bringing Smith-Schuster back for the 2022 season.

Regardless, the USC product is talented and should have a solid market if he can show he's back to full strength or will be by the time next season comes around.

In 63 career games for the Steelers across five seasons, Smith-Schuster has recorded 323 catches for 3,855 yards and 26 touchdowns. His best campaign came in 2018 when he caught a career-high 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl that year.

Smith-Schuster isn't the only player whose future is uncertain in Pittsburgh. Veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been average at best this season, and it's unclear if he has plans to play in 2022—or if the Steelers would be interested in having him back.  

The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking at a potential replacement for injured wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

The Black and Gold are planning to bring in free-agent wide receiver Anthony Miller for a physical Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala.

The Steelers are in need of depth at wide receiver with Smith-Schuster set to undergo surgery to repair his injured shoulder. He is expected to miss the remainder of the 2021 season after suffering the injury in Sunday's 27-19 win over the Denver Broncos.

Miller, 27, initially planned to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. However, with a spot available on Pittsburgh's 53-man roster, the opportunity to work out for the Steelers is a no-brainer.

Miller spent the first three seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears before being traded to the Houston Texans in July. He appeared in two games for the Texans this season, recording five catches for 23 yards and a touchdown, before being released on Oct. 6.

The 2018 second-round pick was brought in to complement Allen Robinson but had an underwhelming three seasons in Chicago, catching 134 passes for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns in 47 games.

Smith-Schuster recorded 15 catches for 129 yards and no touchdowns on 28 targets in five games this season. With the 24-year-old sidelined, Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson will likely see the majority of targets moving forward. The duo has combined for 646 yards and four touchdowns in four games.

James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud could also see more playing time in the coming weeks.

Pittsburgh is fourth in the AFC North with a 2-3 record. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns each have three wins on the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers sustained a huge blow to their offense in Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster going down with a shoulder injury.

Things got worse on Monday, as it was determined that Smith-Schuster needed season-ending surgery, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

While the Steelers will have to replace Smith-Schuster in their offense, fantasy football owners face the challenge of replacing him in their lineups.

We look at wide receivers like New York Giants rookie Kadarius Toney who are rostered in less than 50 percent of fantasy leagues, according to Fantasy Pros, who would be good additions to replace Smith-Schuster.

Toney exploded in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys with the breakout game of his young career, totaling 10 catches for 189 yards on 13 targets. He displayed strong route-running and the ability to get separation in one-on-one matchups.

Toney is likely to see increased opportunities as the season progresses, especially with multiple injuries to the Giants' wide receiver corps. Kenny Golladay exited the game against the Cowboys with a knee injury, and receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton were also inactive against Dallas because of hamstring injuries.

Toney has proven himself as a reliable option moving forward, despite being ejected in the fourth quarter against Dallas for throwing a punch. He should be rostered in all leagues until the Giants receivers are back at full strength.  

Toney wasn't the only rookie receiver to impress in Week 5. New Orleans Saints speedster Marquez Callaway, who was viewed as a fantasy sleeper after an impressive preseason, had four catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns against the Washington Football Team. Callaway was targeted a season-high eight times in the victory.

After a slow start to the season, Callaway has now scored in two of his last three games and he has 200 yards on 15 targets in those three games. He's a strong deep ball target for New Orleans quarterback Jameis Winston. The Saints are on a bye in Week 6 and star receiver Michael Thomas is eligible to come off the PUP list, so it's worth monitoring his status before adding Callaway.

Arizona Cardinals rookie Rondale Moore hasn't topped 100 receiving yards since Week 2, but he has enough upside to be worth consideration if he's available in your league. Moore made five catches for 59 yards and led Arizona with 38 rushing yards on three attempts in Sunday's win over the San Francisco 49ers.

While those stats may not jump off the page, it's clear that the Cardinals want to get Moore more involved in the offense. Arizona has one of the most explosive offenses in the league, ranking sixth with 413.2 yards per game. It's only a matter of time before Moore receives more touches.     

Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster will reportedly miss the rest of the 2021 season after he undergoes surgery to repair his shoulder injury, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

Smith-Schuster suffered the injury in Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos, coming out in the second quarter before he caught a single pass. Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting Smith-Schuster has a dislocated shoulder and will miss "about four months."

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette initially reported the injury could cause Smith-Schuster to land injured reserve. It will now end his season after only five games.

He'll finish the year with 15 catches for 129 yards and no touchdowns.

It's an unlucky break for Smith-Schuster, who signed a one-year deal to return to Pittsburgh in the offseason.

The 24-year-old said he had offers from the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens in free agency, while Schefter reported the Philadelphia Eagles offered him a multiyear deal with more money.

The Steelers selected Smith-Schuster with a second-round pick in 2017. He had 58 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie.

Smith-Schuster followed up his promising debut campaign with 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven scores in 2018 on the way to his lone Pro Bowl selection. He hasn't been as productive over the past few seasons, tallying only 154 receptions for 1,512 yards and 12 touchdowns in 33 games between 2019 and 2021.

Pittsburgh fortunately has quality depth at the position with Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool likely to get the majority of targets going forward. Claypool set a career high with 130 receiving yards in the Week 5 win over the Broncos.

James Washington could also see extra snaps in the wake of Smith-Schuster's injury.     

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster reportedly will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery for his shoulder injury suffered against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Smith-Schuster entered play with 15 receptions for 129 yards and was held without a catch before exiting.

He was also knocked out of his team's Week 3 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with bruised ribs, though Rapoport reported Sept. 27 that all tests were negative. Smith-Schuster was then considered day-to-day prior to returning for Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers.

The former USC star is in his fifth NFL season. He broke out in 2018 with 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven scores, earning Pro Bowl honors along the way.

The 24-year-old hasn't been able to find that elite form ever since, though he's still been productive. He logged a team-high 97 catches for the AFC North champions in 2020.

Without Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson figure to see the most targets.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster reportedly has been diagnosed with bruised ribs after being injured in Sunday's loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared the update, noting Smith-Schuster is day-to-day after going through testing.

Smith-Schuster enjoyed a breakout 2018 season with 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns. After he posted just 42 catches in 2019, he bounced back with 97 grabs last year.

The 24-year-old USC product remained mostly healthy during his first two years in the NFL, playing in 30 of a possible 32 regular-season games. He was forced to the sideline on multiple occasions during the second half of the 2019 campaign because of a concussion and a knee injury. He played all 16 games in 2020.

Pittsburgh normally has plenty of receiving depth even when the 2018 Pro Bowler is sidelined, though not at the moment, with top option Diontae Johnson missing Sunday's game with a knee injury. That leaves Chase Claypool and James Washington as the top two options in the passing game for Ben Roethlisberger if both Johnson and Smith-Schuster miss more time.

All told, the Steelers' attack isn't quite as dynamic without Smith-Schuster. He should return to his usual high-impact role once healthy.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a rib injury during his team's Week 3 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Hopefully, the talented Smith-Schuster returns to the field 100 percent healthy as soon as possible. As of now, it's unknown whether he will miss any time.

If he is forced to the sidelines, Pittsburgh will rely on the remainder of its pass-catching talent, including wideout Chase Claypool and tight end Pat Freiermuth.

Here's a look at Claypool and Freiermuth from a fantasy perspective if the Steelers are forced to play without Smith-Schuster.

Chase Claypool 

Claypool is the clear No. 1 wideout with Diontae Johnson currently sidelined with a knee injury suffered in Week 2. It's unknown how long Johnson will be out, but Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network previously reported Johnson won't be out long-term.

Still, Claypool is the most talented pass-catcher on this team, and he appears to be a future star in black and yellow.

This season, Claypool had six catches for 115 yards through two games. His big-play ability led to him getting 19.2 yards per catch. He also had 10 targets through three quarters against the Bengals this week, so it's clear quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is looking his way more often on this shorthanded pass-catching crew.

Claypool's 2021 season only brings up a small sample size, but he had some early-season highlights in 2020, namely an 84-yard touchdown catch against the Denver Broncos in Week 2:

That followed a praiseworthy Week 1 performance from Pro Football Focus:

He then dropped an unbelievable fantasy bomb by scoring four touchdowns in a breakout performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5:

The ex-Notre Dame star was a bit boom-or-bust, though. On the downside, he notably averaged just 3.6 catches for 42.6 yards from Weeks 12-16. Claypool ended the regular season on a high note with a five-reception, 101-yard, one-touchdown game against the Cleveland Browns.

Ultimately, without Smith-Schuster, Claypool should see more targets, and his big-play ability could lead to him doing serious fantasy damage if the apex of his 2020 output is any indication. He's a clear must-start option as a second wide receiver in season-long fantasy every week if Johnson and/or Smith-Schuster are out. In daily, he's a great option as well.

Pat Freiermuth

Through three games, it's clear that rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth has usurped Eric Ebron as the top pass-catching option at their position.

Ebron had just one catch for 19 yards on four targets through two weeks. Per Pro Football Reference, Ebron played on 47 percent of the snaps in Week 1 and 43 percent of the snaps in Week 2.

Week 3 saw Ebron get just one catchless target through three quarters.

Per Pro Football Reference, Freiermuth hasn't played too much more than Ebron (50 percent of snaps in Week 1, 59 percent of snaps in Week 2), but he's gotten more looks and been more productive.

He caught all five of his targets for 60 yards through two weeks and scored his first touchdown in Week 3 during a three-catch, 22-yard day.

Despite the encouraging outlook for Freiermuth, he's still not a clear-cut starter at tight end. The Steelers still heavily feature Najee Harris on the ground and in the pass game, and Claypool is the go-to guy at wideout. Freiermuth will get his looks, but there isn't any indication he'll be a target hog.

Still, he should be picked up as a backup tight end if he's on the waiver wire. In deeper leagues, he's a borderline start option too.