'I'm Worried About The Guys We Have Here' With Antonio Brown Gone, Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster Is Ready For Bigger Role In 2019

PITTSBURGH (KDKA)-- JuJu Smith-Schuster is ready for the road ahead as the 2019 season moves closer.

JuJu spoke to the media for the first time this season during day two of Steelers OTAs on the South Side.

He promises to be as fully available to the media, which was a change from 2018, where the rising star was only around to talk roughly once a week.

"I'm not going to be an a**hole," Smith-Schuster said. "Promise."

JuJu claims this is not a dig at former Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, who would follow the same practice, and only speak to the media on Fridays each week.

"I'm definitely not doing that. You guys can talk to me any time of the day."

"JuJu Smith Schuster said no "Drama" this year. @KDKA"

Just like quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the KDKA exlusive interview with Bob Pompeani earlier in the week, Smith-Schuster spoke very diplomatically about the AB situation.

"I'm not worried about what he has going on, his team. I wish him nothing but the best. He's a great player, he dominates on the field. As for myself, I'm worried about the guys that we have here, my teammates and how I can be great on and off the field."

JuJu thinks he is ready to step up as a leader in the Steelers locker room, and he hopes his presence will be useful to his teammates.

"Being a role model for that room, I'm pretty sure I can take on that challenge," Smith-Schuster said. "And that's what I've been doing, being the leader and trying to contribute like everybody else. With the experience I have, age is just a number. I have enough games under my belt where I'm able to take on this. It's just another challenge I have to deal with."

"I know fans will be comparing JuJu's and Brown's stats... but JuJu said he won't be looking at AB's numbers this season. All he cares about is winning even if it means catching two passes for 30 yards. @KDKA"

JuJu says that he is ready for a larger workload in 2019 now that Brown has moved on from the team.

"Oh, no doubt, no doubt. I mean, we felt it last year, you know, playing against the Patriots. You know, they doubled me and AB, it wasn't nothing new."

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