Former Chiefs receiver back on free agent market after quiet preseason Week 1 game with Patriots

A former leading receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2022 NFL season is back on the free agent market after just one season with a new team.

JuJu Smith-Schuster left Kansas City to sign a three-year contract with the New England Patriots worth roughly $25.5 million in 2023. Smith-Schuster caught 79 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns for the Chiefs that year, also catching a team-leading seven passes during Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles that year. He followed that up with an injury-riddled campaign in 2023, which saw him catch just 29 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown. A former second-round draft pick out of USC by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, Smith-Schuster is still just 27 years old.

A to Z Sports' Sophie Weller previously suggested that Smith-Schuster could be a surprise cut candidate . After posting a goose egg on 11 offensive snaps in preseason Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, the Patriots saw everything they needed to with Smith-Schuster.

His time in New England is officially over, according to multiple reports.

Does a reunion with the Chiefs make sense?

The Chiefs did seek to extend Smith-Schuster following the 2022 NFL season, but he opted for the long-term deal with the Patriots and an opportunity to play for Coach Bill Belichick. Both of those items were short-lived.

Now that Smith-Schuster is a free agent again, could he return to Kansas City?

The current logjam in the Chiefs' receiver room would suggest not, but it's certainly not because of a redundant skill set. Chiefs Kingdom might remember Smith-Schuster often working out of the slot, but he actually took 532 of his over 800 combined regular-season and postseason snaps on offense aligned as an outside wide receiver. The team has no shortage of smaller and quicker receivers who thrive in the slot, but they lack possession receivers for the outside.

Still, it's hard to imagine a scenario as things currently stand where a reunion would make sense for both sides. If injuries, trades, or a Rashee Rice suspension were to occur for Kansas City, it'd be a topic worth revisiting. It's also important to remember that injuries have continued to be an issue for Smith-Schuster and he was hampered by a knee injury during his time with the Chiefs.

Related: Contract details for Chiefs K Harrison Butker tell the full story of his four-year extension