The Pro Bowl did its best to be all fun and games. Unfortunately, fans were provided with a stark reminder of the fact that injuries can strike players any time, with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster going down during the second quarter.
Smith-Schuster had apparently suffered a knee injury on the play. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, it is not believed to be serious
The Steelers managed to avoid a bullet. Smith-Schuster has established himself as one of the most promising young wideouts in the league and an integral part of the offense moving forward. The last thing Pittsburgh needed was to have him recover from any type of injury this offseason.
Smith-Schuster made a name for himself as a stellar complementary option to wide receiver Antonio Brown during his rookie year. He saw his workload increase tremendously opposite of Brown and was able to take full advantage of it by hauling in 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns this season. As a result, he was named team MVP for his spectacular outing.
With Brown now seemingly on his way out of town, Smith-Schuster is poised to become the new No. 1 wideout in Pittsburgh. He has proven to be more than capable of handling an elevated role in the offense. This is why the Steelers will need him to remain as healthy as possible moving forward.
Smith-Schuster took teammate Antonio Brown's Pro Bowl spot as an alternate. Making the Pro Bowl was a longtime football goal for him.
"It's been so unreal. I never thought I'd be here this far," said Smith-Schuster after a Pro Bowl practice.
With Brown considered on the trading block after a Week 17 disappearing act, Smith-Schuster said he doesn't want to see Brown traded but is prepared to become the team's No. 1 receiver if necessary.
