19 JuJu Smith-Schuster WR

Smith-Schuster (knee) practiced fully Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Wednesday absences from practice have become the norm for Smith-Schuster, but he'll suit up Sunday against the 5-0 Titans alongside Diontae Johnson (back), who's practicing fully this week after sitting out the 5-0 Steelers' Week 6 win over the Browns. Smith-Schuster has nowhere to go but up this weekend after logging just two receptions on four targets for six yards against Cleveland.

Smith-Schuster (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.

Smith-Schuster has regularly received Wednesday practices off this season, so it appears safe to conclude that he's once again getting some maintenance for his lingering knee injury. Diontae Johnson (back) returned to practice as a full participant Wednesday, so as long as Smith-Schuster is also cleared to participate without any restrictions by the end of the week, Pittsburgh's receiving corps should enter Sunday's game against the undefeated Titans at full strength.

Smith-Schuster recorded two receptions on four targets for six yards in Week 6 against the Browns.

The Steelers led the game throughout, limiting Ben Roethlisberger to only 22 pass attempts. While Smith-Schuster matched Chase Claypool and Eric Ebron in targets, he did very little with his opportunity. His longest reception of the day went for just five yards, and he was not targeted deep down the field. It's another concerning performance for Smith-Schuster, who has not topped 50 receiving yards since Week 1 against the Giants. With Diontae Johnson (back) likely to return to the field soon and the emergence of rookie Chase Claypool, it appears that Smith-Schuster's days as the Steelers' alpha receiver may have come to a close.

Smith-Schuster (knee) practiced fully Thursday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Wednesday absences from practice have become routine for Smith-Schuster, but he'll be out there Sunday against the Browns. To date, Smith-Schuster is averaging six targets a game, which has yielded a 21/188/3 stat line through four outings. He'll remain a key weapon for QB Ben Roethlisberger this weekend versus a Cleveland defense that has allowed an average of 296.4 passing yards per game. Only the Seahawks and Falcons have surrendered more thus far.

Smith-Schuster (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Smith-Schuster has often received Wednesdays off of late while he manages a lingering knee issue. Look for him to return to practice Thursday, likely as a full participant.

Smith-Schuster recorded four receptions on five targets for 28 yards in Week 5 against Philadelphia.

Smith-Schuster had a great chance to dominate targets after Diontae Johnson (back) was forced from the game early on. However, he was overshadowed by rookie Chase Claypool, who racked up 11 targets compared to Smith-Schuster's five. It's unclear if he's being slowed by a knee issue that has limited his practice availability for the past several weeks, but Smith-Schuster has now failed to surpass 50 receiving yards in each of his past three contests. He'll draw a matchup against the Browns in Week 6.

Smith-Schuster (knee) practiced fully Thursday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

As did Diontae Johnson (toe), essentially confirming that the duo's absence from practice Wednesday was maintenance-related. Smith-Schuster heads into Week 5 action with a 17/160/3 stat line through the Steelers' first three contests. He'll look to improve on his yardage rate Sunday against the 1-2-1 Eagles, who allowed San Francisco tight end George Kittle to rack up a staggering 15 catches for 183 yards and TD in Week 4.

Smith-Schuster (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

The same applies to fellow starting wideout Diontae Johnson (toe), but Pryor suggests that the duo's listed injuries are "minor things and haven't kept them out of games so far." For some perspective, Smith-Schuster -- who didn't play last week due to the postponement of the scheduled Titans-Steelers contest -- sat out back-to-back practices Wednesday and Thursday in Week 3 before returning to a full session that Friday and approaching the team's game against the Texans minus an injury designation. A similar pattern could be on tap in advance of Sunday, when the Texans will host the Eagles.

Smith-Schuster and the Steelers will not take the field Week 4 against the Titans following additional positive COVID-19 tests within the Tennessee organization, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The initial plan was to move the game from Sunday to either Monday or Tuesday, but with reports of additional positive tests from another Titans player and personnel member surfacing, the league ultimately decided it would be best to postpone the contest. The Steelers were originally in line for a Week 8 bye, but it remains to be seen if that will stay intact with a new Week 4 bye now on the calendar.

Smith-Schuster caught four of five targets for 43 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 28-21 win over the Texans.

Smith-Schuster tied for second on the team in targets and receptions while leading the way in receiving yardage on what was a middling day for the Steelers air attack. He scored a 26-yard touchdown on busted coverage from the Houston defense in the second quarter, salvaging what would have been a more disappointing day from a fantasy perspective. Smith-Schuster's yardage totals have been lackluster the last two weeks, but he could buck that trend next Sunday against a porous Titans defense, and especially if Diontae Johnson (concussion) is forced to sit out.

Smith-Schuster (knee) doesn't carry an injury designation in advance of Sunday's game against the Texans, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Smith-Schuster, who didn't practice either Wednesday or Thursday, was back at practice Friday and listed as a full participant. In fact, the Steelers approach the weekend with no players listed with Week 3 injury designations. Smith-Schuster thus is poised to handle his usual pass-catching duties Sunday opposite fellow starter Diontae Johnson. The duo combined for 15 catches on 21 targets in Week 2's win over the Broncos, with Smith-Schuster logging a 7-48-0 stat line off his eight targets. Another busy day figures to be in store for both players versus a Houston squad that's off to an 0-2 start following losses to AFC powerhouses Kansas City and Baltimore.

Smith-Schuster (knee) was a full practice participant Friday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

This comes on the heels of Smith-Schuster not taking any practice reps at all Wednesday and Thursday, before posting on his personal Instagram on Thursday that he expects to play Sunday versus the Texans, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Still, the Steelers have yet to release Smith-Schuster's game-day availability, which will come out in short order.

Smith-Schuster (knee) sat out practice for the second consecutive day Thursday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

With that in mind, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that Smith-Schuster's situation is "worth monitoring for (Friday), but there's been no indication he's in danger of missing" Sunday's game against the Texans. A return to practice Friday on the wideout's part -- in any capacity -- would no doubt ease concerns about Smith-Schuster's Week 3 status.

Smith-Schuster (knee) didn't practice Wednesday.

Smith-Schuster also sat out last Wednesday's practice before returning to a full session Thursday. He then proceeded to play 59 of the Steelers' 65 offensive snaps in the team's Week 2 win over the Broncos, hauling in seven of eight targets for 48 yards. If he follows last week's pattern and advances to full participation in practice this Thursday, he'll be on track to play this weekend against the Texans.

Smith-Schuster caught seven of eight targets for 48 yards during Sunday's 26-21 win over the Broncos.

Smith-Schuster finished second on the team with a healthy eight targets but was limited to short gains outside his long of 18 yards. Meanwhile, Diontae Johnson led the team with eight catches on 13 targets and seems to be drawing plenty of attention from Ben Roethlisberger. It is true that Johnson is benefitting from working across from Smith-Schuster, but his ascendance should help balance things out in the coming weeks and will benefit the Pittsburgh offense as a whole. There could be plenty of scoring in next Sunday's matchup with the Texans, giving Smith-Schuster a great chance to bounce back from this subpar outing.

Smith-Schuster (knee) practiced fully Friday and doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game versus the Broncos.

Smith-Schuster was held out of practice Wednesday due to a knee injury, but the absence appears to have been maintenance-related to keep the wide receiver in tip-top shape. Look for the 23-year-old to serve as the Steelers' No. 1 WR this weekend, though Diontae Johnson should again be a regular target of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Smith-Schuster (knee) practiced fully Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

As did fellow starting wideout Diontae Johnson (toe) after both players sat out Wednesday's session. The duo's quick return to full work suggests that their absences to kick off the practice week were precautionary. Smith-Schuster, who logged 55 of a possible 64 snaps on offense in this past Monday's win over the Giants, is thus presumably on track to handle his usual workload Sunday against the Broncos.

Smith-Schuster didn't practice Wednesday due to a knee injury.

Fellow starting wideout Diontae Johnson (toe) also missed practice Wednesday. Smith-Schuster logged 55 of 64 offensive snaps in Monday's win over the Giants, catching all six of his targets for 69 yards and two scores. The Steelers may just have been holding him out of practice Wednesday for maintenance-related reasons, a notion that would be confirmed if Smith-Schuster practices in any capacity Thursday. With both Smith-Schuster and Johnson sitting out Wednesday, added practice reps were available for wideouts James Washington, Chase Claypool and Ray-Ray McCloud.

Smith-Schuster caught all six of his targets for 69 yards and two touchdowns in Monday night's 26-16 win over the Giants.

Smith-Schuster looked happy to have quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back under center, as he hauled in everything thrown his way, including a couple scores. The wideout notched Pittsburgh's first touchdown with a 10-yard catch on third down during the second quarter, then effectively ended the game with an eight-yard score on third down with just over five minutes left in the fourth. In doing so, Smith-Schuster is already close to topping his mere three touchdowns from last season, and by leading the Steelers in receiving yards, it's clear having Big Ben back should help his stock rebound significantly this season. The 23-year-old will aim to build on his strong start in his team's home opener in Week 2 versus the Broncos.

Smith-Schuster changed his routine this offseason, working one-on-one with a trainer instead of working out with a group of players, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Prior to last year, Smith-Schuster never seemed to have any problem with strength, conditioning or durability, playing 40 games in three seasons at USC and 30 during his first two years with the Steelers. He then missed four weeks last season after he suffered a knee sprain and a concussion, adding injury to insult amidst a highly disappointing campaign. Ben Roethlisberger's return to the starting lineup puts Smith-Schuster on track for a rebound in the final year of his rookie contract, though it remains to be seen if the 38-year-old QB can match his pre-injury form. Smith-Schuster claims he isn't worried about signing a new contract, and it wouldn't come as any surprise if the Steelers were to announce an extension before Week 1. Absent a new deal, Smith-Schuster will be a top candidate for the franchise tag next spring.