Pros and Cons to Chicago Bears acquiring JuJu Smith-Schuster

The argument against the Chicago Bears signing JuJu Smith-Schuster

So, after naming the positives of JuJu’s game, there are some things that make people worry about JuJu Smith-Schuster.

With that, they’re not actually complaining about his football abilities.

Inside the NFL “Metaverse”, there’s a narrative that JuJu Smith-Schuster cares more about TikTok and his social following than football.

And I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve absolutely been a subscriber of that thought in the past.

Now, after thinking about it more, the wide receiver position has just about always been a more personality-based position. Look at guys like Chad Ochocinco, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin, and so on. All of those guys, while all rather successful at their job, we’re big personalities.

Can you imagine if Chad Ochocinco had a TikTok while he was playing? I don’t see that being far different from JuJu Smith-Schuster being a big personality receiver.

Now, in the more modern NFL, there are guys like Odell Beckham Jr., Justin Jefferson, Antonio Brown, and more that I’m sure I’m missing.

While some people tend to call these players “divas”, I prefer to just consider their big personalities. Justin Jefferson is still able to contribute highly to his team, while also doing the “Griddy” after each score.

So, to say JuJu can’t take that next step from being a big personality to being a dominant, big personality isn’t very fair.

But, it could be a distraction for players that aren’t Smith-Schuster. Considering that many players on the Steelers have had to answer media questions pertaining to JuJu Smith-Schuster’s TikTok antics, it could cause issues to arise.

And considering the fact that Ryan Poles has put on thus far for the Chicago Bears, he’s a seemingly no-nonsense type of guy. The worry here is that if that’s the case and if the Chicago Bears bring him in, JuJu Smith-Schuster could be seen as a wedge between the Bears and their ultimate goal of “taking the North and never [giving] it back.”

Lastly, the deal JuJu Smith-Schuster would have to take to make it worth it for the Chicago Bears is one that might not align with Smith-Schuster’s self-evaluation. Last season, he signed with Pittsburgh on a 1-year, $8M deal. If he were willing to make that money, especially after missing a good chunk of last season, I could get behind it more.

But, if he wants more than, say, $13M, I’ll have to respectfully quote one of my favorite TV shows, Shark Tank, by saying: “And for that reason, I’m out.”

We’ll see what Ryan Poles does, as free agency officially begins tomorrow. Will Ryan Poles attack the wide receiver position, or will it be a heftier free agency for the Bears, as they fill the holes on their offensive line? It should be interesting to see, that’s for sure.