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JuJu Smith-Schuster is expected to play in the Wild Card game against the Kansas City Chiefs after missing the last 12 games of the regular season with a shoulder injury.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Smith-Schuster had no issues after practicing Thursday and is "trending toward playing" on Sunday.
Smith-Schuster was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return, and it now appears that he will be on the field for Ben Roethlisberger's final game.
The 25-year-old wideout appeared in five games before getting injured, but he only had 15 catches for 129 yards and no touchdown.
Since Smith-Schuster got injured, Ray-Ray McCloud has stepped into the slot role and supported Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.
Even with Smith-Schuster back in the lineup, McCloud could still maintain his role as Roethlisberger's favorite target.
Smith-Schuster was a second-round pick out of USC in the draft, and he was supposed to be a star outside receiver.
He set career highs in his second season with over a thousand yards and over a hundred catches and went on to make his Pro Bowl debut.
Smith-Schuster had a career-high 97 catches for 832 yards and nine touchdown last season, but he dropped off to 42 catches for 552 yards and three scores in 12 games in 2019.
Even if he isn't as fast as he was earlier in his career, Smith-Schuster is still a favorite target of Big Ben, so he could have a significant role in the game.
Roethlisberger isn't likely to make big plays in the passing game, but Pittsburgh has a chance for success if he can nickel and dime them by moving the chains.
If Smith-Schuster does play, Roethlisberger will have a full arsenal of weapons, including Smith-Schuster, Johnson, Claypool, McCloud, Pat Freiermuth, and Najee Harris at running back.
Kansas City will be heavily favored even after reaching the Super Bowl in back-to-back years. The Chiefs will face a team that is close to full strength.
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