JuJu Smith-Schuster's season is over after he suffered a shoulder injury that will require surgery to repair in the Steelers' 27-19 victory Sunday over the Broncos at Heinz Field.
He'll likely be placed on injured reserve later this week, likely when offensive tackle Zach Banner is activated off short-term injured reserve.
The question for the Steelers (2-3) now becomes who takes Smith-Schuster's spot as the team's slot receiver and, perhaps more importantly, as its best blocking receiver.
A free agent last offseason, Smith-Schuster returned to the Steelers on a one-year deal worth $8 million with voidable years that lowered his 2021 cap hit to just $2.4 million this season. He had expressed an interest in playing more outside receiver for the team this season, but those spots largely have gone to Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson, with James Washington filling in when Claypool and Johnson both missed a game separately earlier.
Even so, Smith-Schuster, who led the Steelers with 97 catches in 2020, had seen his receptions go down this season. He had just 15 receptions for 129 yards on 28 targets, failing to record a catch on Sunday before exiting the game.
Smith-Schuster had once again worked primarily out of the slot, taking 66.7 percent of snaps there, the seventh-highest mark in the NFL. But it was down from the 82.2 percent of the snaps he had in the slot in 2020, in part because of the injuries to Claypool and Johnson that forced each to miss a game.
Replacing Smith-Schuster's production in the passing game won't be the issue. He averaged a career-low 8.6 yards per catch in 2020 and was at that same average this season as Claypool and Johnson took more of the down-the-field throws.
But where the Steelers will miss Smith-Schuster the most is as a blocker. At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Smith-Schuster is highly effective as a blocker, something the Steelers use him quite liberally, as you can see on this play from Sunday's game.
That's Smith-Schuster lined up in a wing-back role and leading Najee Harris through the hole on the Steelers' first play of the game on Sunday. And that's the dirty work that doesn't go on the stat sheet or ring up points for a fantasy football manager.
"His knowledge and awareness in terms of blocking box defenders. Young guys in terms of declarations, identifying fronts, blocking linebackers at times, blocking support secondary people as needed. Not only does he have the physical attributes to do it, he has the mentality to do it. He has the intelligence to do it," Mike Tomlin said of Smith-Schuster's ability a a blocker a couple of years ago.
"He is Hines Ward like in some of those things. I realize what I said when I said that. This guy enjoys it. He embraces it. And I think it helps us. I don't know that we've had a guy that I can even make that loose comparison to."
The Steelers don't have another one of those at the wide receiver position, though at 6-foot-4, 238 pounds Claypool certainly has the size to be that kind of player. He just hasn't achieved that kind of status in the run game as of yet.
Ray-Ray McCloud would appear to be in line to get some of Smith-Schuster's work out of the slot, as could tight ends Eric Ebron and Pat Freiermuth. But if the Steelers want to put their best three wide receivers on the field together, that would be Johnson, Claypool and Washington. They also can use fullback Derek Watt in some of those wingback formations -- though it does tip their hand a bit.
"It's football. Injuries are going to happen," Johnson said Monday. "Whoever is in for JuJu, you've got to step up. If it's Ray-Ray, he's got to step up. That's how it's always been. Somebody gets hurt, we've got to keep playing. We're not worried about that. We're going to keep going out and playing for JuJu, no matter what his situation is. We're still going to go out there and do our thing.
The question then becomes, who works out of the slot?
Sunday's game also gave some insight into that.
That's Claypool working out of the slot next to Ebron in a set out of 11 personnel with Johnson outside of him and Ebron inside.
Claypool also ran out of the slot on his 18-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.
In today's NFL, putting your biggest -- and sometimes fastest -- wide receiver in the slot is like stealing. On the 58-yard touchdown catch, putting Claypool in the slot got him matched up on linebacker Von Miller.
On the touchdown catch, the Broncos were in zone and Claypool simply split the two deep safeties and went up between them for a relatively easy catch.
"Chase can play anywhere on the field," Johnson said. "Anybody in the offense can line up anywhere on the field. Not anybody can just do that, go across the middle and get smacked like that. He takes pride in that and I'm happy for him."
So, the Steelers are capable of weathering the storm of not having Smith-Schuster for the remainder of the season, though it's a good thing team chose not to honor Washington's request for a trade in the preseason.
The Steelers will miss Smith-Schuster's toughness as an additional blocker, but the threat of having Claypool or one of their tight ends matched up on a linebacker or slot cornerback should keep defenses honest.
As for Smith-Schuster, some have speculated that the injury could mean he's played his final game as a member of the Steelers. Actually, the opposite might be true.
An issue with his knee caused a number of teams to back off from signing the talented wideout in free agency last offseason when he was seeking No. 1 wide receiver money. He eventually lowered his asking price and returned to the Steelers.
Now, he's even more damaged, though the shoulder injury isn't something that should affect him long term. His recovery time, however, could mean he's unable to cash in on a long-term deal in the offseason once again.
And the Steelers hold option years on him that run through 2025. They can easily add another year or two onto his deal to bring him back in 2023 and potentially beyond.
"We've just got to be there for him off the field," Johnson said. "You never know what's going through his mind. An injury like that, you can't really do anything about it. We've just got to keep playing. He'll be cheering us on from the sidelines. I know that's what he's going to do. We're going to keep rallying around him and keeping his head in the game, just being there for him."