National Football League

JuJu Smith-Schuster activated ahead of Steelers-Chiefs

Updated Jan. 15, 2022 5:45 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers have received a big boost ahead of their AFC wild-card contest against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday — and it came from an unexpected source.

Star receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who suffered what was believed to be a season-ending shoulder injury in a Week 5 victory over the Denver Broncos back in October, has been activated and is expected to play Sunday.

It was a stunning turn for Smith-Schuster, 25, who underwent surgery a few days after his injury and has missed 14 weeks.

Smith-Schuster returned to practice this week, wearing thicker shoulder pads in an effort to protect his right shoulder. His teammates raved about his conditioning, and his presence gives the seventh-seeded Steelers (9-7-1) a much-needed set of sure hands and — potentially — a physical blocker in the running game as they try to upset the second-seeded Chiefs (12-5) on Sunday night (8:15 p.m ET on NBC).

Smith-Schuster has 15 receptions for 128 yards this season, becoming a de facto running back of sorts as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s preferred target in an offense heavily reliant on short passes.

It remains to be seen how productive the receiver will be given his lengthy absence and the severity of his injury. FOX Sports Injury & Performance Analyst Dr. Matt Provencher wrote back in October that Smith-Schuster would likely not see much loss in production, but that was assuming a six-month window to heal. "Our data shows that shoulder dislocations do well once sufficiently rehabilitated," he wrote.

Has Smith-Schuster "sufficiently rehabilitated" or is he merely healthy enough to see some action vs. the Chiefs?

That remains to be seen, but the Steelers will be looking for any edge they can get, as they are 12.5-point underdogs against Kansas City, a team that has won the AFC West six straight times and reached the Super Bowl in each of the last two seasons.

"The way JuJu plays the game is physical. We all know it. We all love it," Roethlisberger told 102.5 WDVE. "He could boost this offense. Even if it's just a few plays, the energy, the encouragement he brings on the sideline. Anything like that, to have one of your guys out there would be huge for us."

To make room for Smith-Schuster on the roster, the Steelers released punter Corliss Waitman, meaning rookie Pressley Harvin III will handle the punting duties at Arrowhead Stadium. Waitman kicked well while filling in for Harvin during a blowout loss in Kansas City last month.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Waitman and Harvin would compete during the week, but ultimately opted to stick with the seventh-round pick who has struggled with consistency all season.

The activation of Smith-Schuster created some buzz around the sports world. Here is a sampling:

The Associated Press contributed to this story.