The Pittsburgh Steelers could be getting a valuable piece of their offense back this weekend ahead of their matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Steelers have announced that Juju Smith-Schuster has returned to practice, with the potential that he could play in Sunday night’s game, should practice go well for him.
#Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, who practiced today following shoulder surgery that landed him on IR, does have a chance to play this weekend. It’ll depend on how he does in practice, but coach Mike Tomlin called it a start.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2022
It has been reported that the first practice today went well, and that depending on how the rest of the week goes, he could be active for the playoff game Sunday.
I’m told the first practice went “very well”
All positive signs https://t.co/JjAuo6tDqq
— Taylor Bisciotti (@TaylorBisciotti) January 13, 2022
Smith-Schuster has been out since dislocating his shoulder in Week 5 this season, which required surgery. He is well ahead of his expected recovery time, which was expected to be about 4 months, and would have had him ready by the middle of February.
Here are some reactions to the surprising return to practice for Smith-Schuster.
Wow. Would love to see him out there. https://t.co/FhAsOuk5tr
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) January 13, 2022
This is certainly some interesting news. Can’t imagine he would get many snaps IF active, but would be a positive for sure. #Steelers https://t.co/oN42PBH3c6
— David Todd (@DavidMTodd) January 13, 2022
Tell me you about to risk fumbling the bag again without telling me.
If he gets hurt again what kind of realistic market does he really have… smh 🤦🏾♂️ https://t.co/Oh2LxHrtxI
— LaQuan Jones (@RealDealFantasy) January 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/TheSport_Guru/status/1481712924557258760
He will certainly be a welcome sight for Pittsburgh and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should he be good to go this week.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 12.5-point underdogs currently in their matchup this weekend, and despite Roethlisberger’s comments as of late, bringing back a talented receiver like Smith-Schuster could significantly help their chances of winning.
This news doesn’t guarantee anything for the Steelers. Smith-Schuster, even if healthy enough to be active, will still have to work himself into playing shape since he has been out for so long. Regardless, any more help the Steelers can get is for the better.
