Pittsburgh Steelers

If JuJu Smith-Schuster had it his way, he would NOT leave Pittsburgh in free agency this offseason ... the star receiver tells TMZ Sports he wants to be a Steeler for life!

"At the end of the day, I want to have my legacy in Pittsburgh and retire there," the 24-year-old says. "I don't want to leave."

Smith-Schuster's rookie contract is expiring this offseason ... and he's expected to test the open market, even if the Steelers make him a preliminary offer.

The wideout could command HUGE dollars from teams like the Jets, Patriots or Dolphins ... but he made it clear to us while shopping out in L.A. this week he's hoping the Steelers come close to matching a big deal from other teams.

In fact, when we asked if he could see himself in a Chargers or Rams jersey in 2021 ... JuJu told us straight up, "Not right now. Until I actually get let go, other than that, I'm Pittsburgh for life."

Smith-Schuster started his career with a bang with the Black and Yellow ... recording over 2,300 yards and 14 TDs in his 1st two seasons.

But, injuries, diminished play, a public feud with former teammate Antonio Brown and controversy surrounding pregame dancing TikToks have most believing Pittsburgh will let him walk in the offseason.

As for if his QB could be out in Pitt as well ... Smith-Schuster says he's hopeful both he and 38-year-old Ben Roethlisberger find a way to return to the Steelers.

It's official -- Mason Rudolph and tennis star Genie Bouchard are an item ... and we know this, 'cause the NFL QB made the announcement Sunday with a steamy IG pic of the two in Cabo!

As we previously reported, Bouchard and Rudolph began dating in the fall ... but the two had carefully avoided any public appearances or social media shoutouts.

That all changed Sunday, though ... when 25-year-old Rudolph posted a smokin'-hot flick of the couple in swimsuits on a beach in Mexico.

"My valentine," Rudolph captioned the photo, adding a heart emoji.

Interestingly, 26-year-old Bouchard did NOT post Rudolph ... though she did confirm her Cabo vacay was a "quick vday getaway."

A few of Rudolph's Steelers teammates congratulated the quarterback on the relationship ... with Eric Ebron, Zach Banner and Terrell Edmunds all showing love.

Of course, Bouchard and Rudolph are no strangers to high-profile relationships ... Rudolph was just spotted last year with "Bachelor" star Hannah Ann, while Bouchard famously went on a date with a guy after losing a Super Bowl bet.

Ben Roethlisberger should call it a career ... so says his former teammate Ike Taylor, who tells TMZ Sports the QB NOT retiring this offseason could hurt the team for years down the road.

Ike kept it real with us when breaking down Ben's future ... saying while the 38-year-old has more than earned the right to play in Pittsburgh next season, he's not sure if it's the greatest move for the franchise.

"You're setting them back a year or two or three [with a comeback]," Taylor says of the Steelers. "The reason why I think you're setting them back is because you've seen the progression in Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow -- before he got hurt -- and Baker Mayfield."

"So, we're talking about three young quarterbacks in one division. Who you going to pick last?"

Taylor says the answer to that question is Ben ... which is why he wants to see Roethlisberger ride off into the sunset this offseason so Pittsburgh can find a QB who can keep up with the rest of the AFC North's young guns.

"Ain't nothing wrong with shutting that thing down," Taylor says. "It's hard for a lot of people to shut it down. It's hard."

Don't get it twisted, though ... Taylor had tremendous praise for Ben, saying the guy's career was second to none.

And, if Ben truly is willing to take a massive pay cut to stay under center in the black and gold ... Ike says the Steelers don't have much of a choice other than to bring him back.

But, Taylor did advise Ben that he's got to take a page out of Tom Brady's book -- and get his body right for next season so he can have success as a pocket passer.

There's more ... Ike also spoke with us about another one of his former teammates, Antonio Brown, and says it wouldn't surprise him if AB won Super Bowl MVP honors on Sunday.

If JuJu Smith-Schuster's Browns shade wasn't enough to fire up Cleveland ... here's EVEN MORE bulletin board material for the Dawg Pound -- courtesy of ex-Steelers player Ike Taylor!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the former Pittsburgh DB this week ... and when he was explaining Smith-Schuster's "nameless, gray faces" comments, Taylor said JuJu wasn't exactly wrong!

"Well, first of all, there is no rivalry," Taylor said of the Browns vs. Steelers. "You know, the only rivalry when it comes down to Pittsburgh is the Baltimore Ravens. That's the only rivalry we look at."

"We never looked at Cleveland, we never looked at Cincinnati as no rivalry. That's just how it was."

Don't get it twisted, Taylor still has a ton of respect for Cleveland -- he praised Baker Mayfield for his progress -- but he says there's definitely a big brother little brother relationship between the Steelers and Browns.

"It's not in a disrespectful way," Taylor tells us. "It's just if you're a Pittsburgh Steeler, that's how you look at other teams."

If you missed it, Smith-Schuster spoke with reporters on Thursday and said he doesn't look at the Browns any differently this season compared to years' past when they were awful.

"The Browns is the Browns," JuJu said.

If the Steelers thought JuJu Smith-Schuster's TikTokin' was a distraction -- wait 'til they get a load of this ...

Pittsburgh's flamboyant wideout just provided some SERIOUS bulletin board material for the Cleveland Browns ahead of their playoff matchup this weekend ... throwing major shade at the team's AFC North rival!!

Smith-Schuster's comments all went down in a meeting with the media on Thursday ... when a reporter asked if the 24-year-old had seen anything different out of the Browns this year.

"I think they’re still the same Browns teams I play every year,” Smith-Schuster said. "I think they’re nameless, gray faces. They have a couple good players on their team, but, at the end of the day, I don’t know. The Browns is the Browns.”

JuJu added, "I'm just happy we're playing them again Sunday."

SHAAAAAAAAAADEEEE!!!

Of course, Smith-Schuster is no stranger to providing motivation for opposing teams ... to close out the season, the receiver made it a point to TikTok dance on opponents' logos before games.

Turns out, other teams used that as fuel ... especially the Bills and Bengals, who whooped the Steelers and griped about Smith-Schuster's dancing afterward.

Terrible news for the Cleveland Browns -- the team will be without head coach Kevin Stefanski for its first playoff game in 18 years ... he just tested positive for coronavirus.

And he's not the only one ... 2 players and 2 assistant coaches have also tested positive for COVID-19 -- and the team has shut down its facility while contact tracing is underway.

The timing couldn't be worse for the Orange & Brown -- which is set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card playoff game on Sunday.

Losing Stefanski is a major blow -- he's a candidate for NFL's Coach of the Year, leading the Browns to an impressive 11-5 record, the team's best season in forever.

The Browns announced special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will serve as acting head coach on Sunday ... and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will take over play-calling duties.

"The team will continue to consult with the league and medical experts to determine the appropriate next steps as the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff and the entire community remains our highest priority," the team said in a statement.

No word on the health status of the team's top stars -- including Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett, Jarvis Landry and others. Hopefully, they're okay and will be ready to play.

Remember, Cleveland was forced to play without its top 4 wide receivers and several other key players in Week 16 against the pathetic New York Jets ... with the Browns taking an "L" as a result of its decimated roster.

Hatchet buried?!

Myles Garrett and Mason Rudolph shared a handshake and exchanged pleasantries in a post-game moment Sunday -- something no one expected to happen roughly 13 months after the infamous helmet attack incident!

Remember, it was in Nov. 2019 that Garrett swung a helmet at Rudolph's head during a nationally televised Browns vs. Steelers game -- with some calling for the Browns star to be criminally prosecuted.

The situation got super nasty between the NFL players -- Garrett claimed Rudolph had used the n-word on the field, something Rudolph had vehemently denied. Ultimately, Myles was hit with a 6-game suspension that ended his 2019 season.

The two teams clashed again on Sunday night -- with Rudolph filling in at QB for Ben Roethlisberger ... and the big question, is there still bad blood???

No helmet swinging this time around as the Browns beat the Steelers -- but after the game, cameras caught Myles and Mason dapping each other up.

"Myles came over and said, 'good game,' postgame and that's all it was," Rudolph said. "I told him 'good luck' and that I had a lot of respect for him."

Added Garrett, "I just told him good game -- he played a hell of a game -- and we’ll see you all in a week," Garrett said. "He played tough. He had 300 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He played very well, and he kept them in it to the very end."

"Had to show a little praise that he did well in this game and he was able to make some big plays for them."

So, friends? Not exactly ... but the situation is 1000000 times better than it was last year.

And, get this ... Myles and Mason will have a chance to continue their chat on Sunday when the Browns face the Steelers AGAIN in the AFC Wild Card game.

Could T.J. Watt one day be the NFL's all-time leader in sacks???

Bruce Smith -- the current sack record-holder -- certainly thinks so ... telling TMZ Sports the Pittsburgh Steelers star is "the one we want to watch now because he's young."

Smith has held the all-time sacks mark since 2003, when he logged his 200th career QB takedown ... and nobody has come close to the number since.

Guys like J.J. Watt and Von Miller -- two of the best of this generation -- barely have over 100, and their careers are winding down.

So, we had to ask ... does Smith think anybody will be able to get to his mark eventually??

Smith says it's certainly possible -- telling us the rules of the game will change enough for players to have a shot -- but he says everything has to break the right way for a player to hit 200.

"You have to understand there has to be a level of consistency that will last for 14, 15 years," Bruce says. "So, there are a lot of factors that go against you from being able to, heck, even reach 130 sacks or 140 sacks."

"The number one factor is health," Smith added.

Bruce says guys like Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald could do it ... but the Buffalo Bills legend believes T.J. Watt might possibly have the most realistic shot.

FYI -- T.J. has 47.5 sacks through his first 3-plus seasons ... which Smith says he's impressed by.

Shannon Sharpe rubbed some serious salt into the Steelers' wounds Monday night ... clowning the hell out of JuJu Smith-Schuster for TikToking and then losing to the Bengals!!!

If you haven't seen it, the Pittsburgh star wideout has gained fame for doing TikTok dances on opponents' logos over the past few weeks.

But, seemingly every time he does it -- his team gets whooped ... and Monday night was no different.

Just a couple hours after JuJu grooved to Popp Hunna's "Adderall (Corvette Corvette)" at Cincy's midfield ... PIT took one of the worst losses of the NFL season this year, falling 27-17 to the 3-10-1 Bengals.

And, to make matters worse for JuJu, he got LIT UP during the game -- fumbling a ball that ended up costing the Steelers big time.

Enter Sharpe ... who was so clearly delighted to see JuJu stink it up after dancing on the logo -- he took to Twitter to straight-up clown the 24-year-old!!

"Ju Ju might need a new car," Sharpe said. "That corvette, corvette isn’t fast enough to get away anymore."

Sharpe later added, "Sent corvette,corvette to the body shop tonite. Don’t TikTok on the logo."

To make matters even worse for JuJu? The Bengals got in on the dancing shade too!!!

Larry Csonka celebrated the Steelers' loss like a BOSS on Monday ... breaking out a stogie and booze after Washington helped ensure the 1972 Dolphins would remain the NFL's only undefeated team for at least one more season.

"Tonight, I'm a Washington fan!" the legendary Miami running back said as he puffed his cigar.

Of course, Csonka and other Fins players from the '72 team that recorded the NFL's only perfect season have made it an annual tradition to throw a little party every time the league's last unbeaten loses.

Usually, it's a petty tweet or somebody poppin' bubbly ... but Csonka really went the extra mile this year!!!

The 73-year-old -- who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 -- stood in front of his TV while Washington wrapped up the win and he sipped his booze and gave out a cackle.

"Whohoooooo!!!!" Csonka wrote as WFT was sealing the 23-17 victory over Pitt. "Burn that clock out!"

So far, no other public celebrations from Csonka's old teammates yet ... but we're pretty sure it won't be too much longer until we hear from Mercury Morris.

Steelers d-lineman, Stephon Tuitt, just gave his teammates some advice that'll make fantasy owners salivate -- run up the score against the Ravens, 'cause this one's gonna be a cakewalk!!

Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore is minutes from kickoff after being delayed THREE times due to a COVID-19 outbreak ... which left several key players -- including Lamar Jackson -- sidelined for Wednesday's matchup.

Tuitt -- who is also missing the game after being placed on the COVID-19/reserve list over the weekend -- made sure his guys got some encouragement before kickoff ... and threw some shade at the Ravens in the process.

"Good luck to the boys today," Tuitt said on IG. "Pad the stats - should be an easy one. Eyeing my return for next week against Washington where I should catch up. I say it because I believe it."

The NFL has officially postponed its biggest Thanksgiving Day football game -- Ravens vs. Steelers -- after multiple players tested positive for COVID.

"Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers game scheduled for Thursday, November 26 has been moved to Sunday afternoon, November 29," the NFL confirmed.

"This decision was made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts."

Earlier this week, Baltimore's top 2 running backs -- Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins -- were ruled out for Thursday night after testing positive for COVID.

But now, there seems to be a chance they could get back on the field for Sunday's game ... IF they weren't symptomatic.

Per the NFL's COVID policy, an asymptomatic player can return if 5 days have passed since the initial positive test AND the player receives 2 consecutive negative rapid tests at least 24 hours apart within that 5-day span.

We don't know if the RBs were symptomatic or not -- but we're making calls to try and find out.

In the meantime, there are still two other games going down on Turkey Day ... Houston vs. Detroit and Washington vs. Dallas.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Eric Ebron is representin' his sons in an iced out kinda way ... with 2 brand new diamond chains with their names on it!

The 27-year-old is a proud father of 2 boys -- 3-year-old Oliver and 1-year-old Aiden -- and decided to have some pieces made up in their honor.

So, Ebron hit up Ari the Jeweler in Manhattan to get two personalized Cuban links -- and Ari delivered!

We're told each chain features 40 carats worth of VVS diamonds and 300 grams of gold!

Unsure on how much E plunked down for the duo, but we're told they're valued around $65k each!

The NFL ain't messing around with its sock policy -- hitting 2 star Pittsburgh Steelers players with $5k fines for showing too much leg during a game!

Steelers wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back James Conner were both flagged by the league for breaking the dress code -- which requires players to wear their socks all the way up to their pants.

The league sent a letter to both JuJu and Conner claiming they broke the sock rule during the Oct. 25 game against the Tenessee Titans.

"Specifically, your stockings failed to cover your lower leg," the letter said. Juju later posted the note to social media.

Both players can appeal the fine ... but $5k won't set them back TOO much, even though they're both still on their rookie deals.

Socks.

Besides the dress code fines, the Steelers are on fire this season -- they're currently 7-0 (the NFL's only unbeaten team) and looking like world-beaters.

23-year-old Juju's hauled in 39 passes for 346 yards and 3 TDs so far this season.

Get the Kleenex ready, this will hit ya right in the feels ...

Pittsburgh Steelers rising star Chase Claypool sent an autographed jersey to a 76-year-old fan after learning of the man's recent dementia diagnosis ... and it's emotional.

Claypool -- a rookie WR who's BALLED OUT in recent weeks -- saw a TikTok video that explained the fan's battle ... and Chase was clearly moved by the whole thing.

In the clip, the fan's son explained his dad is "the biggest Steeler fan in the world" ... but is now having trouble remembering players' names on a weekly basis.

So, Claypool decided to send him some BIG love ... writing a personalized autograph on one of his #11 jerseys!!!

"Jimmy!" Chase wrote, "Thank you for being a lifelong Steelers fan!! From Chase."

In the clip, you can see Claypool drove the jersey to the post office himself to make sure the precious cargo arrived on time and safe.

"I hope this jersey can create a long-lasting memory for you and your father," Chase added in the video. "God bless you and your family and go Steelers!"

#Awesome

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says his team's not gonna turn into the Kardashians over their rematch with Myles Garrett and the Browns ... saying, they're not about "that reality TV storyline."

Sunday's matchup between Pittsburgh and Cleveland is HUGE for several reasons -- one being both teams are fighting for a spot at the top of the AFC North.

The other reason?? It's the first time Garrett will line up against the Steelers since his infamous helmet-swinging attack on backup QB Mason Rudolph in November 2019.

Tomlin was asked if he spoke to his players about avoiding any sort of distractions while meeting with reporters on Tuesday ... and he makes it clear they have bigger things to worry about.

"There really is no message," Tomlin says ... "There's a lot on the table in reference to this game in terms of stakes. They're a 4-1 team."

"We're trying to remain undefeated. We’re not looking for that low hanging fruit or that reality TV storyline and so forth. This is a big game in 2020."

As we previously reported ... Garrett has spoken out about moving on past the incident ... calling it a "small bump in the road."

So ... everyone's gonna get along on Sunday, right??