There has been much speculation on what JuJu plans to do after this season if the Steelers do not decide to extend his contract or franchise tag him. This is his last season on contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers and he has been on the record saying he wants to be a "Steeler for life." The question is do the Steelers want to give him another contract? That has remained to be seen yet.
On CBS Sports "All Things Covered Podcast," JuJu said Sam Darnold is his guy and he hopes Pittsburgh could get him, but he loves Ben Roethlisberger.
"That my guy, man. Sam Darnold, if we could get him to Pittsburgh, I would, but I love Ben Roethlisberger so it is what it is, I'm just saying he's a great kid. I played with him so he's one of my boys so I wouldn't mind playing with him again."
"I played with Sam Darnold in college and he was a great player, led us to a Rose Bowl, There's no doubt that he has that 'it' factor in him. The NFL's a lot different now, schemes and all that other stuff so I think that it just takes time. I think his time is coming soon. Right now, I think it's tough."
Sam Darnold could be a free agent in the year 2022 if the Jets decide not to pick up his fifth-year option. JuJu also played with him at USC so of course, he will have high praise for his college quarterback. JuJu loves Ben Roethlisberger and calls him his number 1 quarterback in the NFL, but Ben Roethlisberger is getting up there in age and could ride off into the sunset if he wins his third Super Bowl.
In the meantime, the Steelers are starting off their season with a 3-0 record and looking like a top tier team in the AFC currently. JuJu says he is not worried about contract negotiations just yet because he is focused on winning a championship in Pittsburgh. He wants to focus on being a good teammate for his team. The offseason will be very intriguing to see what the Steelers decide to do with JuJu Smith-Schuster, but for now, he is a Pittsburgh Steeler!