Oct. 11 (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for the remainder of the season after the star wideout suffered a significant shoulder injury during Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.
League sources told ESPN, NFL Media and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Monday that Smith-Schuster dislocated a shoulder in the Steelers' 27-19 win over the Broncos and is having surgery later this week. According to the outlets, the procedure is expected to sideline him for about four months.
Smith-Schuster, who signed a one-year contract to return to the Steelers this past off-season, lowered his right shoulder and absorbed a hard hit from Broncos safety Kareem Jackson on a jet sweep during the second quarter of Sunday's game.
The USC product got to his feet slowly and was helped off the field by the Steelers' medical staff. After a brief check on the sideline, Smith-Schuster bypassed the blue medical tent and headed to the locker room with the training staff.
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Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that Smith-Schuster went to the hospital for further evaluation.
"It's tough seeing him in that type of pain, and that's for anybody on the field," Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson said Monday. "It's tough seeing somebody get hurt that's a key player to the offense. Just got to rally around him and just be there for him off the field."
Smith-Schuster ranks fourth on the Steelers in targets and receptions this year, trailing only Najee Harris, Chase Claypool and Johnson. Smith-Schuster notched 15 catches for 129 yards over five games this season.
In 63 career games with the Steelers, Smith-Schuster has tallied 323 receptions for 3,855 yards and 26 touchdowns.
