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Report: Steelers' JuJu Smith-Schuster Diagnosed with Bruised Ribs After Injury

Tim Daniels@TimDanielsBRX.com LogoFeatured Columnist

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster enters the stadium before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Kyusung Gong/Associated Press

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster reportedly has been diagnosed with bruised ribs after being injured in Sunday's loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared the update, noting Smith-Schuster is day-to-day after going through testing.

Smith-Schuster enjoyed a breakout 2018 season with 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns. After he posted just 42 catches in 2019, he bounced back with 97 grabs last year.

The 24-year-old USC product remained mostly healthy during his first two years in the NFL, playing in 30 of a possible 32 regular-season games. He was forced to the sideline on multiple occasions during the second half of the 2019 campaign because of a concussion and a knee injury. He played all 16 games in 2020.

Pittsburgh normally has plenty of receiving depth even when the 2018 Pro Bowler is sidelined, though not at the moment, with top option Diontae Johnson missing Sunday's game with a knee injury. That leaves Chase Claypool and James Washington as the top two options in the passing game for Ben Roethlisberger if both Johnson and Smith-Schuster miss more time.

All told, the Steelers' attack isn't quite as dynamic without Smith-Schuster. He should return to his usual high-impact role once healthy.