Ex-Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster finds new NFL home

Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has reunited with the Kansas City Chiefs, a team on which he won a Super Bowl in 2022.

Smith-Schuster, 27, originally signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs as a Steelers free agent and logged 78 catches for 933 yards and three touchdowns. That production earned him a three-year, $33 million contract with the New England Patriots in the ensuing offseason, only to produce some of the worst marks of his career in an injury-riddled 11-game 2023 season.

The Chiefs are not known for rostering premier pass-catchers, so Smith-Schuster joins an unpredictable receivers room of 2023 rookie standout Rashee Rice (a suspension candidate for role in a high-speed offseason car crash), Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (recovering from a shoulder injury) and first-round rookie Xavier Worthy.

Steelers fans had a love-hate relationship with Smith-Schuster, a second-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2017. At times, he seemed to care more about his brand than the Black and Gold. Smith-Schuster’s peak season came in 2018 (while Antonio Brown was still a member of the Steelers) with 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns.