JuJu Smith-Schuster Gives Encouraging Update on Season-Ending Injury (Exclusive)

JuJu Smith-Schuster's season ended early as he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 5 of the NFL season. And while this was a year the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was looking to prove himself, it looks like 2022 is going to be a big year for Smith-Schuster. PopCulture.com recently caught up with Smith-Schuster who gave an encouraging update on the process. 

"It's been great," Smith-Schuster told PopCulture about his rehab. "Honestly, I'm getting to the part where now I'm getting my hand over my head and getting the motions back where I need to be with my shoulder. Just started lifting weight. So it's getting back to where I need to be. So I can perform when the time comes."

The injury occurred in the Steeler's win over the Denver Broncos. In five games this season, Smith-Schuster caught 15 passes for 129 yards. He's coming off a 2020 season when he caught 97 passes for 831 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns. Smith-Schuster is looking to get back to his breakout 2018 season when he caught 111 passes and 1,426 yards and seven scores and was voted team MVP. 

As Smith-Schuster continues to get 100% healthy, he's making sure to take things easy. "When you're rehabbing an injury, it's not so much of you don't want to overkill your muscles," he said. "You work certain individual muscles of the parts of the body to help the main issue around it. So let's say, for example, it's my shoulder, but I'm trying to get my biceps strong, my traps strong the muscles around to help support it and versus when you're healthy and you're getting ready for a game. Obviously, you're getting the pump that you need to get in and becoming stronger and stuff like that. So it's really effective, and I can tell that it's very different between having an actual season injury versus having nicks and bruises throughout the season."

Smith-Schuster signed a one-year contract extension with the Steelers before the start of the 2021 season, meaning he will be a free agent once the season ends. If the Steelers don't reach the playoffs, it's possible the Steelers could bring back Smith-Schuster to help bolster the offense, especially if quarterback Ben Roethlisberger leaves the team.