The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver tallied 933 yards and three touchdowns (plus a Super Bowl ring) in his one season with the Kansas City Chiefs. This performance earned him a three-year, $25.5 million deal with the New England Patriots the following spring.
However, Smith-Schuster faced challenges in 2023, starting the year with a lingering knee injury. He also missed two games due to a concussion and was placed on the Reserve/Injured list after an ankle injury in Week 11. As a result, he appeared in only 11 games, recording 29 receptions on 47 targets for 260 yards and one touchdown.
The Patriots released him on August 9.
BREAKING: The #Chiefs are expected to sign former Pro Bowl WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, per multiple sources.
JuJu reunites with Kansas City, who looks to add another weapon for Patrick Mahomes. pic.twitter.com/P8Ne5anyfM
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 26, 2024
It is widely thought that Smith-Schuster’s next team might sign him for the NFL minimum of $1.2 million for a player with seven or more credited seasons, since he is still receiving $7 million guaranteed from his New England contract. Any additional salary he earns would reduce his cap hit for the Patriots by that amount.
The reasons behind this signing are speculative. The Chiefs might be concerned about the health of their new free-agent wideout, Hollywood Brown, or anticipate a possible suspension for wide receiver Rahee Rice. They could also lack confidence in their current wideouts beyond Brown, Rice, Xavier Worthy, or Justin Watson. Alternatively, it could be a mix of these factors.
Regardless of the reason, this signing likely impacts the players further down the depth chart in Kansas City’s wide receiver group.
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