Back to Pittsburgh on one-year deal Smith-Schuster is signing a one-year, $8 million contract with the Steelers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Impact Rapoport suggests Smith-Schuster received better contract offers from the Ravens and Chiefs but decided to stay in Pittsburgh for at least one more year. He's counting on a friendlier free-agent market next offseason, at which point he'll be just 25 years old. Smith-Schuster hasn't made as many big plays the past couple years, but his cumulative receiving stats through four NFL seasons (308/3,726/26) are impressive. The biggest issue in Pittsburgh is a lack of downfield targets, with Smith-Schuster's aDOT dipping to a career-low 5.6 in 2020 as he led the league in slot routes (545) and slot targets (103). That allowed him to catch a career-high 76.4 percent of his targets, but for a career-low 8.6 yards per reception. While he'll likely do better than 8.6 YPR in 2021, it's hard to imagine Smith-Schuster getting a lot of deep targets in an offense where Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson and James Washington dominate perimeter snaps.
MARCH 19, 2021 • ROTOWIRE