The Chicago Bears need to strengthen the wide receiver position, especially since Allen Robinson isn’t going to return. Will they make a splash at the position come Monday at the beginning of free agency? Bears’ GM Ryan Poles hasn’t commented on the situation yet. But, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, JuJu Smith-Schuster is linked to the Bears as well as several other teams.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Stats and What He’s Worth
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted JuJu Smith-Schuster 62nd overall in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. He played his entire career in Pittsburgh and made it to one Pro-Bowl in 2018, his career-best season. He played in all 16 games and caught 111 of his 166 targets. JuJu amassed over 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns.
Last season, he only played in five games. A change of scenery could really do him some good and assuming he’s healthy, Chicago could be a nice fit. Smith-Schuster is 25 years old and could partner well with Justin Fields and Darnell Mooney.
In 2021, JuJu Smith-Schuster had a base salary of $1 million and a signing bonus of $7 million. The Chicago Bears rank 31st in the entire NFL in salary-cap dollars allocated for wide receivers with $4.4 million. That’s only two percent of their adjusted cap. All of their currently signed wide receivers make less than $1 million, so bringing on a guy like JuJu Smith-Schuster and paying him accordingly is possible.
Based on his previous contract and the health concerns, the Bears could pay JuJu Smith-Schuster between $8 and $13 million, making him one of the top-30 highest-paid receivers in the league. That would put him right around the same level as players like Michael Thomas, Courtland Sutton, and Tyler Lockett.
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