In recent years, the NFL has become something like college football in the area of facilities. Franchises are spending massive amounts of money to create state-of-the-art facilities for players and coaches. It makes sense considering just how much time dedicated players spend on team campuses.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster spoke at a media event for 7-Eleven this week that took place at the luxury digs of the Dallas Cowboys. Smith-Schuster didn’t hold back in his praise of the Cowboys set up and even took a shot at the more dates facilities at Heinz Field. Smith-Schuster is set to hit free agency
“The Steelers are still working on trying to get out of the wooden locker rooms,” Smith-Schuster said. Heinz Field was opened in 2001 and renovated in 2007 but there’s no denying it was not built with the future and luxury in mind. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have been playing at AT&T Stadium since 2009 that was built at a cost of $1.3 billion. Right at five times what Heinz Field cost back in 2001.
This is the first time this has come up but it does raise an interesting point. College players are coming from settings where schools dish out big bucks to accommodate players and this is something they come to expect. The facilities at USC where Smith-Schuster are more modern and updated than the Steelers who have kept things very old school.
Does this need to change? Should Pittsburgh take what Smith-Schuster said to heart and consider upgrading to be more enticing to today’s NFL stars? Let us know in the comments below.
JuJu Smith-Schuster said at 7-Eleven event he’s “most likely” headed for free agency. On Dak Prescott: “He’s a great quarterback. Catching balls from him in a facility like this, I wouldn’t mind it. …The Steelers are still working on trying to get out of the wooden locker rooms” pic.twitter.com/fyuDPSpKE8
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) February 2, 2022
