Juju Smith Schuster Injury Update: What You Need To Know

The Juju Smith Schuster injury has sent shockwaves through the NFL, particularly for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 11, the Steelers have been scrambling to fill the void left by their star wide receiver. This blog post will look at how this Juju Smith Schuster injury will affect the Steelers and what the team must do to make up for his absence.

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What injury happened to JuJu Smith-Schuster?

Juju Smith Schuster injury — *Image Credit: Getty Images*

JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a series of injuries over the course of his time in the NFL. On Sep 26, 2021, he sustained a chest rib bruise, and then on October 10, 2021, he suffered a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, his struggles with injuries continued on August 16, 2022, when he had a knee bruise and then, most recently, on November 13, 2022, JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a head cranial concussion grade 1. This has been an ongoing issue for JuJu Smith-Schuster and is something that the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to monitor closely in the future.

What did JuJu Smith have surgery on?

Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster recently underwent season-ending shoulder surgery, which left him “heartbroken” and out for the rest of the year. The exact details of the injury are still unknown, but it is believed that JuJu Smith-Schuster had to undergo a labrum repair on his right shoulder.

A labrum repair involves repairing or replacing the ring of cartilage around the shoulder socket, called the labrum. The surgery can range from a simple procedure, such as debridement, to a more complex procedure, such as an arthroscopic repair. It is unclear how long the recovery period will be, but it is likely that JuJu Smith-Schuster will miss the remainder of the 2020 season due to his injury.

Why is JuJu Smith-Schuster hurt?

JuJu Smith-Schuster was hurt during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, November 8th. The standout receiver was taken to concussion protocol after a hard hit in the second quarter. As a result of the collision, JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a concussion and was forced to sit out the rest of the game.

The Steeler’s medical staff is currently evaluating the extent of JuJu Smith Schuster injury and will make an announcement about his status in the coming days. In the meantime, Smith-Schuster will remain in the concussion protocol and will not be allowed to participate in any team activities until cleared by medical staff.

Who will step up in his absence after the Juju Smith Schuster injury

With JuJu Smith-Schuster out of action due to his injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for someone to step up in his absence. Ryan Switzer, Diontae Johnson, and James Washington are the most likely candidates. Johnson and Washington have already been making an impact this season, and their roles could increase significantly with JuJu Smith-Schuster out.

They will both be expected to be reliable targets for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, as well as work hard in the running game. Ryan Switzer is another option that the Steelers may turn to, especially in situations where they need a spark. Switzer has shown his playmaking ability in the past and could be used more frequently on quick screens and jet sweeps. It will be interesting to see how the Steelers decide to utilize these players in order to fill the void left by JuJu Smith-Schuster.

The impact on the team’s offense result of Juju Smith Schuster injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing a huge setback after losing JuJu Smith-Schuster to injury. With JuJu out of the picture, the offense is missing one of its best playmakers and most versatile weapons. JuJu Smith-Schuster has been one of the team’s top receiving threats and was often utilized in the backfield or out of the slot.

His big-play ability was always a welcome addition to the offense and his production will be sorely missed. Without JuJu, the Steelers will need to find a way to replace his presence in the passing game as well as his blocking ability. Further, JuJu Smith-Schuster served as a safety net for Ben Roethlisberger’s long throws.

As one of the team’s most reliable targets, JuJu was often the recipient of Roethlisberger’s short, low-risk throws, allowing him to move the ball downfield with relative ease. Now, the Steelers must find other receivers who can fill that role, which could prove difficult.

The loss of JuJu Smith-Schuster is no doubt a major blow for the Steelers’ offense and it remains to be seen how the team will adjust in his absence. It’s likely that they will rely more heavily on their running game and tight end Vance McDonald while also hoping that some of their other pass-catchers can step up and help fill the void left by JuJu.

The impact on the team’s defense

JuJu Smith Schuster injury will be felt on both sides of the ball for the Steelers. On defense, JuJu was the team’s best cover man in the slot and his absence will leave a void that needs to be filled. Now that JuJu is out, the team will have to look to other players to fill his role.

The team has some options, but they will have to figure out who can best replace JuJu’s presence. If they are able to find a suitable replacement, it could benefit the defense as a whole, as JuJu was an excellent coverage player who was adept at breaking up passes and deflecting balls away from opponents. Without him, the defense may struggle with containing opposing teams’ slot receivers. All in all, the JuJu Smith Schuster injury will have a major impact on the Steelers defense.

The silver lining

Despite the unfortunate injury to JuJu Smith-Schuster, there is a silver lining to the situation. Now is the time for the Steelers to showcase their wide receiver depth. Other players such as Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, and James Washington will be able to step up and fill the void left by JuJu’s absence.

This could potentially prove beneficial for the team in the long run as these players gain more experience on the field. Additionally, this also allows the Steelers to develop their playbooks and work on implementing new strategies. Furthermore, if JuJu Smith-Schuster can recover fully from his injury, he should be able to come back stronger than ever before.

This could give the Steelers a huge advantage on offense with their star receiver back in the lineup. Additionally, since the Juju Smith Schuster injury is not season-ending, JuJu should still have enough time to make an impact this season when he returns. In other words, it’s still possible for the Steelers to benefit from JuJu Smith-Schuster’s presence this season, albeit later than expected.