© Kyle Terada | 2020 Oct 4
Blame TikTok.
Ready your mind, your body, your soul, pray to whoever or whatever you must. Because it’s about to get real dumb up in here. This is a peak NFL-as-a-high school storyline.
Let’s begin with Juju Smith-Schuster, who had, all season long, been dancing on opponents’ logos before games in TikToks. If you don’t know what TikTok is, well, I am sorry to have to tell you. It’s a very popular app featuring short videos, mainly of young people dancing. It’s very popular with teenagers, and people who are not teenagers, but wish they still were.
So, Smith-Schuster did it again against the Cincinnati Bengals:
He's back at it again… ??
JuJu Smith-Schuster does his dance on the @Bengals' midfield logo during warmups.
?: TikTok/JuJu pic.twitter.com/FEcpRGAmLq
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 22, 2020
I know what you’re thinking: “God, those moves are sick.”
But apparently the Bengals’ Von Bell did not think so. Before the game, Bell said, “It’s kind of disrespectful at the end of the day… You’ve got to go out there between the lines, go out there and hit him.”
He, uh, did just that, clobbering Smith-Schuster and forcing a fumble in the Steelers’ third-straight loss. Smith-Schuster only had three catches for 15 yards, but honestly, with moves like that, stats don’t matter.
.@Vonn knocks it out from Pittsburgh TikTok star.
WATCH on ESPN pic.twitter.com/n4BNZHcJ0J
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 22, 2020
On Tuesday, Smith-Schuster, who has 154 yards receiving and an average of 30.4 yards per game over his last five, announced he would no longer be doing his signature pre-game TikToks on opponents’ logos.
Pour one out, folks, I’ll give you a minute.
This is where Javon Kinlaw comes in. The 49ers rookie direct messaged Smith-Schuster on Instagram, saying “Them boys hit you jiggin ass out that Corvette huh,” referencing the song Smith-Schuster used in the TikTok, “Adderall (Corvette Corvette)” by Popp Hunna.
Smith-Schuster posted it on his Instagram story, writing “YO, TELL THIS FEMALE STAY OUT OF MY DMS” and tagging Kinlaw.
#49ers rookie DT Javon Kinlaw and #Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster had a classic DM exchange on IG ??
?: @TeamJuJu IG pic.twitter.com/x3sk8Rsc20
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) December 23, 2020
He then posted a video of himself scoring a touchdown against the 49ers last year in a game in which… the Steelers lost 24-20 and dropped to 0-3, and when Kinlaw was not on the team.
JuJu sent this out to Rookie Javon Kinlaw! ? #Savage #Steelers pic.twitter.com/1zOmOmWbjk
— That Blitz Guy ✨ (@ThatBlitzGuy) December 23, 2020
Kinlaw responded on his own Instagram story, tagging Smith-Schuster and writing, “I promise you wouldn’t come to Levi stadium in that corvette.”
Javon Kinlaw strikes back ??? | #49ers #FTTB pic.twitter.com/57ldXn5GAk
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) December 23, 2020
Deebo Samuel joined in, too.
Deebo Samuel with the dagger reminding JuJu Smith-Schuster the #49ers beat the Steelers last season on his IG story ?? pic.twitter.com/u0cDgYba1J
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) December 23, 2020
I think it’s fair to say that we are all winners here.