The Kansas City Chiefs brought back veteran WR JuJu Smith-Schuster after he spent a year in New England.
After a disappointing and injury-marred season with the Patriots, Smith-Schuster is coming off one of the least productive seasons of his seven-year NFL career. The Chiefs, however, are confident that he can slot right back in and be a productive member of the team's offense.
The 27-year-old is expected to be available to play for Week 1 of the 2024 NFL regular season against the Baltimore Ravens. That's good news for Kansas City given that Hollywood Brown isn't expected to be available to play due to injury.
What exactly does Smith-Schuster bring to the table in his return to Kansas City? Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes discussed the topic with media members on Sunday.
"It's super exciting," Mahomes said of Smith-Schuster's return. "I mean, just the person, being in the locker room, being in the meeting rooms, he gets it, man. He gets how to be a pro, and then he works hard. I mean, he's out here, he looks great. And so I'm excited for him, just to continue to learn the little things that we changed in the year that he wasn't there. But, I mean, he's picked up a lot of the stuff really fast. It's good to have that type of guy in that receiver room."
Smith-Schuster recorded 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns in Kansas City in 2022, but the Chiefs aren't exactly expecting him to be that guy. Smith-Schuster spoke about that last Thursday.
"Yeah, I mean (I've got) a lot in the tank," Smith-Schuster said. "I don't know if I'll be able to match those numbers from a couple of years back because we've got so many weapons and there's only one ball in football. You've got (Travis) Kelce, you've got Pop (Isiah Pacheco), you have (Xavier) Worthy, you have Hollywood (Brown), you have Rashee (Rice), you have Skyy (Moore), you have Mecole (Hardman), you have so many guys in this offense where you can do so many things, so for me it's not about numbers. It's just about where I can be used and fit."
Smith-Schuster admits he has some catching up to do after missing out on training camp with the team, but he knows that he has some familiarity he can lean on heading into Week 1.
While he does have some experience playing the "big slot" position, over 500 of his combined regular-season and postseason snaps came while he was aligned as an outside wide receiver. It's reasonable to expect that his role won't much change in the offense for the Chiefs. That said, he's still trying to figure out himself exactly where he fits in.
"This is a great offense," Smith-Schuster said. "You have so many weapons now. Obviously, just glad to be in this offense and be a part of it. But you know, just getting used to the playbook and seeing where I fit in, whatever that may be. Wherever Coach (Andy Reid) wants to use me, I'm ready."
Related: Chiefs shuffle practice squad players again, releasing a 2023 trade acquisition and a veteran defender
Local Kansas City, MO
Most Popular
Comments / 0