The Chiefs flirted with the idea of signing JuJu Smith-Schuster a year ago before he eventually returned to the Steelers on a one-year contract.
Friday, Smith-Schuster went back to the well with Kansas City, signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs. Reports are that the contract is worth $10.5 million.
Soon after, James Washington signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys, meaning the Steelers lost three wide receivers in less than 24 hours. Ray-Ray McCloud was signed to a two-year deal by the 49ers Thursday night.
The Steelers didn't stand pat, however. They signed All-Pro kick returner Gunner Olszewski to a two-year, $4.2-million deal.
One of the team's more popular players because of his outgoing personality, Smith-Schuster, 25, was a second-round draft pick of the Steelers in 2017 behind T.J. Watt. He burst onto the scene as a rookie, catching 58 passes for 917 yards and seven touchdowns. He followed that up with a stellar season in 2018, catching a career-high 117 passes for 1,426 yards and seven scores, winning the team's MVP award.
Thank you, Steelers Nation!! I Love You! 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/o5xN8fgc9C
— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) March 18, 2022
But that also led to Antonio Brown's departure that offseason, as Brown was upset with Smith-Schuster's selection for the team award. Brown walked out of practice after that was announced.
Smith-Schuster found life without Brown on the other side of him a little tougher, though. He also lost Ben Roethlisberger for most of the 2019 season to an elbow injury.
The receiver saw his numbers dip to 42 catches for 552 yards in 2019 with Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges at quarterback. In 2020, he caught a team-high 97 passes, but for just 831 yards.
Smith-Schuster signed a one-year, $8-million deal with the Steelers in free agency last offseason after flirting with the Chiefs and Ravens.
But he had just 15 receptions for 129 yards in the team's first five games last season before suffering a serious shoulder injury in a win over the Broncos in Week 5.
Smith-Schuster surprisingly returned for the Steelers' playoff loss to the Chiefs, catching five passes for 26 yards.
McCloud signed a two-year, $10.4-million deal to join the 49ers, while contract details were not immediately available on the deal signed by Washington.
Olszewski (6-1, 190 pounds) will fill the return role previously held by McCloud. Olszewski, 25, was not tendered an offer as a restricted free agent by the Patriots, who was signed as an undrafted rookie in 2019.
He has averaged 12.3 yards per punt return in his career, including an NFL-best 17.3 yards per return in 2020. He hasn't been much of a factor in the passing game, catching just nine passes for 127 yards and one touchdown in three years.
Olszewski also has averaged 23.1 yards per kick return in his career.
With Diontae Johnson, who is coming off his first Pro Bowl season, Chase Claypool and Anthony Miller now as the top three wide receivers on the Steelers' roster, they have an obvious need to acquire another in free agency. They also could easily make acquiring a wide receiver in the draft a priority, with that coming as early as the first round.
