The Pittsburgh Steelers had a highly promising wide receiver duo with Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. They played together for two seasons before Brown's frustration with the organization led to his departure from Pittsburgh. Reports circulated that Brown was jealous and upset over the hype surrounding Smith-Schuster, particularly when the team voted Smith-Schuster as the MVP in 2018. This reportedly pushed Brown over the edge, resulting in his demand to leave the team.
Brown was benched for the Steelers' regular season finale, with many reports suggesting it was due to his reaction to Smith-Schuster being voted team MVP over him. During the 2018 season, Smith-Schuster amassed 111 catches for 1,426 yards and scored seven touchdowns, while Brown had 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and an impressive 15 touchdowns.
Despite both players having dominant seasons, Brown was deeply upset that Smith-Schuster was chosen by the team as the most valuable player for 2018. Brown never played for the Steelers again, and Smith-Schuster eventually joined the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency three seasons later.
There has been much debate about Brown's true feelings towards Smith-Schuster. On Sunday, Brown hosted an X Spaces session where he revealed his honest thoughts about his former teammate. This response came after a fan admitted it upset him how he talked about Smith-Schuster after he left Pittsburgh.
“I love JuJu, man. JuJu was a young guy that I gave the game and always wanted to see him be the best. I didn’t turn on JuJu. I was just being real. At the end of the day, we were football players and we all competed to try and be the best.”
When Smith-Schuster joined the Steelers, he admired and looked up to Brown. However, fans were displeased with how Brown treated Smith-Schuster after leaving the team. Brown continues to hold a harsh opinion of Smith-Schuster.
“JuJu came to the Steelers knowing AB was the best, but he wanted to try and be better than AB. That is what the fans wanted. That is what the organization wanted. JuJu got hyped up and put in the position he wasn’t ready for. He failed the team and they got rid of him. JuJu was a kid who they wanted to see him be successful from the Steelers.”
Smith-Schuster and Brown both won Super Bowls after leaving the Steelers, but their careers were less productive. Smith-Schuster's decline was particularly surprising, as he initially appeared to have a promising career. Since leaving the Steelers, he has struggled to stay healthy and involved in the offense.
Steelers' JuJu Smith-Schuster Had Antonio Brown's Back
Brown's opinion of Smith-Schuster remains harsh. After leaving the Steelers, Brown mocked Smith-Schuster, even leaking a message from when Smith-Schuster was in college, asking for advice. Despite this, Smith-Schuster was never a significant problem in Pittsburgh, although he did annoy fans and opposing teams with his TikTok dances on their logos.
Smith-Schuster also had a memorable moment when he delivered a major hit to one of the dirtiest players in the NFL, Vontaze Burfict, standing over him and celebrating.
Some saw this as sweet revenge for Burfict's disturbing hit on Brown, which many fans believe caused a significant shift in Brown's behavior due to potential head trauma. Brown's current opinion on his former teammate highlights the issues he had during the end of his time in Pittsburgh.
