PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 22: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates with Antonio Brown #84 after a 31 yard touchdown reception in the second quarter during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on October 22, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)The Antonio Brown trade announcement has taken social media by storm, with everyone weighing in on how the loss of the Pro Bowl wideout will impact the team moving forward. But while many fans and pundits see the Antonio Brown trade as a big loss, one member of the Steelers appears to see it as an opportunity.
Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster gave his reaction with two words and a picture. “I’m ready,” he posted along with a picture of himself catching a touchdown while Brown and a member of the Oakland Raiders looks on.
Brown was reportedly traded to the Raiders on Sunday in exchange for a third- and fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The move followed a very public war of words between Brown and the Steelers brass.
I’m Ready… pic.twitter.com/K9EZVna0VV
— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) March 10, 2019
While Brown has been historically good for the Pittsburgh Steelers over the past six seasons, 2018 was a breakout year for the second-year receiver from USC.
In 2018, Smith-Schuster led the Steelers with 111 catches for 1,426 yards, earning his first Pro Bowl appearance in the process.
With Brown gone, Smith-Schuster’s workload looks poised to take a huge spike in 2019.
But that isn’t to say that the Steelers won’t miss Brown, who has recorded over 100 receptions and 1,200 yards in each of the last six seasons. He also led the league in touchdown catches last year with a career-high 15.
