Madden Monday: Idea that JuJu Smith-Schuster took less money to stay with Steelers is fiction

Mar. 22—Join the conversation

()

If you are someone who is excited about JuJu Smith-Schuster returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers for one more year in 2021, I'm happy for you. He's a good receiver. The offense is better with him than without him.

If you are someone who thinks it's better to have him than some of the other players the Steelers have lost in free agency, I'll disagree. But you are entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.

I have to draw a line, though, at this cockamamie narrative that Smith-Schuster came back to the Steelers just because he loves Pittsburgh so darned much. That is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

So the same guy, who was telling his teammates goodbye at the outset of free agency, playing video games in a Miami Dolphins uniform, and "liking" Twitter polls about his looming departure, was a beacon of loyalty to our fair city.

OK. Tell me another one.

Oh wait, you did.

Some of you tried to tell me that Smith-Schuster was smart for taking a one-year $8 million deal because he wants to net more in 2022 when the NFL salary cap goes up.

Sure. He turned down multiple years of security — for more money — to risk injury with an aging quarterback in an offense that obviously didn't do much to boost his free-agency resume this year in the first place.

Just to "hit it big" in 2022. After all, there was no money to be had on extended contracts on the open market for free-agent receivers.

Right. Tell that to Kenny Golladay who signed with the New York Giants for four years for $72 million with $40 million guaranteed. Or Curtis Samuel who got three years and $34.5 million with the Washington Football Team.

The fanboy fawning for Smith-Schuster is one thing. I'm numb to that at this point. The intellectual dishonesty and manipulation of the truth are what I can't handle.

Speaking of the truth, TribLive's Mark Madden says it is being distorted when it comes to the belief that Smith-Schuster really got better offers from other teams before coming back to Pittsburgh.

"He's not going to stay one second longer than Ben does," Madden said in this week's "Madden Monday" podcast. "I think this whole thing with him staying (for less money) is a lie. I think Pittsburgh is the only concrete offer he got. I think the stuff about (offers from) Kansas City, Baltimore and Philadelphia was a fabrication.

"If he did turn down better offers from the teams he supposedly got better offers from ... he was a fool. Because he would have had a better chance to build a platform for his next free agency in Kansas City or Baltimore than he is going to have in Pittsburgh."

On the Penguins front, they just finished a three-game set against the New Jersey Devils, going 1-1-1.

That's not as good as originally hoped. So now they better clean up against the East Division cellar-dwelling Buffalo Sabres. The clubs play back-to-back games Wednesday and Thursday at PPG Paints Arena.

"I looked at it as a five-game stretch," Madden said of the contests against New Jersey and Buffalo. "I thought they had to get eight of 10 points over those five games. Now the best they can get is seven. If they can beat Buffalo these next two, that's not terrible. Seven out of 10 isn't going to hurt them too much. I still feel like any point you drop against New Jersey and Buffalo is a wasted opportunity. And (those) are points that could make a difference in the standings at the end of the season."

Mark and I also talk about the Penguins' injury problems, goaltending, potential trades, NCAA March Madness and the wild story of the Upper St. Clair boys basketball team.

------

Listen: Tim Benz and Mark Madden discuss JuJu Smith-Schuster's deal with the Steelers, Penguins recent games and more

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.