You already read the title before entering, so you know exactly what it is about and you know exactly what reactions will be in the comments section, but we have to work it out together anyway, so let’s get started.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is among the most important names entering the free agency market for the Pittsburgh Steelers in a few months. The four-year veteran has recorded more than 300 receptions for more than 3,700 yards and 26 touchdowns since he was selected in the second round in 2017, reaching the Pro Bowl in 2018.
After recording his career record with nine touchdown receptions in 2020, Smith-Schuster continued with a performance of 13 catches and 157 yards in the Steelers’ post-season defeat this weekend, which was crowned with another touchdown.
Even though he plays a critical role in the team’s attack, they recruited three other discharged recipients in the three choices after beating him, most notably Diontae Johnson in 2019 and Chase Claypool last year, who threatened the 917-yard team rookie. Smith-Schuster received a yard record and broke or tied other team rookie records.
Although the Steelers would like to re-sign the 24-year-old, the financial reality makes things difficult and, according to Gerry Dulac, there may be other complications at stake in determining where he wants to play in 2021 and beyond.
Writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dulac says sources saying that “Smith-Schuster would like to operate in an important market where he could expand his brand off the field and his growing presence on social media.”
Presumably, the vast majority of players prefer to operate in an important market that allows them to expand their brand, for example, to give them opportunities to earn more money. This does not necessarily mean that it determines your free agency decisions.
Smith-Schuster, of course, is a prominent social media user and brand ambassador, and there is no doubt that Steelers fans will immediately accept the plausibility of what Dulac wrote. He’s been making money with sponsors since his debut year, so that’s not exactly surprising.
Even Claypool talked about how one of the biggest influences Smith-Schuster had on him this season was with his off-field advice on how to build his brand. It is obvious that this is a significant part of the conversation for him – as well as for many, many professional athletes and for most people who are in the public sector and have the opportunity to exploit their identity for profit.