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Heading into his sixth season, JuJu Smith-Schuster will be on the receiving end of a different quarterback for the first time in his career.
The former Steelers receiver who signed with the Chiefs this offseason has been used to catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger. Now, Smith-Schuster is practicing with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. One would think there would be quite a difference in playing style between the two quarterbacks.
“I mean, there’s really not much, you know,” Smith-Schuster told reporters on Tuesday. “Ben, you know, he threw the ball, he could do pretty much, you know, all the stuff. I just feel like Pat, when it gets a scrambling part, that’s where it’s like, okay, like he can throw the ball across the field, he could do this, he could do that. You just never know. So, we are always taught to just stay on the move because you just never know what you’ve got out of him.”
Part of the throwing style contrasts Smith-Schuster has experienced might be due to the age difference between Roethlisberger and Mahomes. The Chiefs’ All-Pro passer is nearly a decade younger than Roethlisberger was when Smith-Schuster arrived in Pittsburgh.
The 25-year-old receiver only played in five games last season while he dealt with a shoulder injury. His first two seasons in the league in 2017 and ‘18 showed promise as he finished with 917 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, then 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns in his Pro Bowl sophomore season.
Now, Smith-Schuster is looking to become a key weapon on the Chiefs roster, especially after the team’s former top receiver Tyreek Hill left for the Dolphins in the offseason.
Smith-Schuster signed just a one-year deal with the Chiefs, and just this week, he admitted he’s open to a Steelers return in the future. However, if that happens, he won’t be catching passes from Roethlisberger as the longtime Pittsburgh quarterback retired after the 2021 season.
