JuJu Smith-Schuster is pretty desperate to get Le'Veon Bell back in a Steelers uniform and on the football field. And the Pittsburgh wide receiver is putting his own money to work.

Smith-Schuster said he stocked up on Mega Millions lottery tickets this week -- over 100 in total -- in hopes of winning the $1.6 billion jackpot -- not for himself, but for Bell. Allegedly. The Steelers wideout said so as he concluded an interview on Wednesday.

OK, so Smith-Schuster wasn't playing the lotto solely for Bell. He also admitted that he wanted a large chunk of that massive windfall as well. Obviously.

Smith-Schuster is in the second year of a four-year, $4.2 million rookie deal. Asked what he would have done with the Mega Millions, Smith-Schuster said he'd take care of his teammates, then jokingly took that back. "I'd still play ball but have better cars, a better house, have that lifestyle," Smith-Schuster said.

Unfortunately, like the rest of us, Smith-Schuster didn't hit the jackpot, which had 1 in 302,575,350 odds. That means that Bell and the Steelers are going to have to figure things out on their own, I suppose.

As we approach the midway point of the NFL season, the 26-year-old Bell is still entrenched in a holdout with the Steelers, who placed the franchise tag on him over the offseason. The star running back wants a long-term deal and is apparently prepared to sit out until he gets it.

Maybe Bell will suit up for the Steelers again. Maybe he won't. But at least Smith-Schuster can say he tried to help.

"If you don't ever play, you never know," the wide receiver said. "I had to go in there and shoot my shot."

He may not be (super) rich, but he's clearly wise.