The Pittsburgh Steelers now have 3 days to try and bring back some of their free agents, but it looks like they will have no chance to bring back JuJu Smith-Schuster or Bud Dupree barring any last-minute deals. I knew going into this offseason it would be a very tough one for Steeler fans. That is why I tried to bring honesty to the situation that was going to come in the offseason. It is going to be a painful offseason and it needs to happen because the Steelers have to get their cap situation back under control.
Jeremy Fowler recently said the Steelers are thought to have no chance at keeping JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bud Dupree. That is not shocking because at the end of the day the NFL is a business and it makes sense for both of them to try and get the biggest contract they can get as a free agent this offseason. The Steelers and JuJu have been communicating to try and get a deal done, but it looks like it won't be enough according to the way JuJu Smith-Schuster is talking on social media. Was this a goodbye to Pittsburgh?
It certainly looks like one, but there is a slim chance (about 10%) the Steelers can get a deal done with JuJu. Both Bud Dupree and JuJu Smith-Schuster should have a good idea of what their market will look like by tomorrow because the tampering period begins in the NFL. Teams can start talking to players like Bud Dupree and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
It is estimated JuJu's market value is $16.1 million annually and Bud Dupree is even more at $18.2 million annually. These are contracts the Steelers will not be able to compete with because of their cap situation, but the Steelers can overcome it by drafting or picking up another wide receiver in free agency and using Alex Highsmith in place of Bud Dupree. This looks like the end of the road with the Steelers and JuJu Smith-Schuster barring any last-minute deals and all I can say is it was a good 4-year run with JuJu.
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