There is perhaps no wide receiver that has had more of a wild career in the modern era than Juju Smith-Schuster. Having played for three teams by the time he’s 28 years old, the once-believed future superstar in Pittsburgh won Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs and after a failed stint with the Patriots, he returned in 2024 to help the team win another AFC Championship.
Smith-Schuster is back and here are three observations about the Chiefs choosing to re-sign him.
He’s the glue in the WR room
Let’s not mince words here. Whether justified or unjustified, the Chiefs have players on their roster who have had legal issues threaten their career. Smith-Schuster is not one of them. He brings a type of maturity and a level of championship experience to rewrite any issues, ensuring the team is headed towards a common goal.
The NFL is a landscape where everything a player does, even if not football related, gets put under a microscope. Even more if you’re a Chief. Smith-Schuster is that glue guy that helps resolve football/ non-football issues before they become an issue.
The market was not good for him
The one thing Smith-Schuster never got in his career is that big time pay day that receivers are looking for. While he has made an incredible amount of money in his career, he’s never received that $60+ million contract and considering he’s running it back with the Chiefs, he wasn’t going to get that deal this cycle.
Time is running out and 2025 may be his last opportunity to secure such a contract. However, it may be his best opportunity. With Rashee Rice’s health remaining an unknown in terms of how ready he’ll be to play, the attention Travis Kelce still demands, and the pockets of space Xavier Worthy/ Hollywood Brown creates when they stretch the field, if Smith-Schuster can find those pockets with added playing time, Patrick Mahomes will find him and thus a deal will find Smith-Schuster.
Mahomes needs a sure-handed wide receiver after the departure of Justin Watson and Smith-Schuster’s best year since his breakout season in 2018 came with the Chiefs in 2022.
The Chiefs are very comfortable with their offensive roster
Considering the team is likely to address the tackle and guard position in the draft, the team seems very comfortable with their current offensive foundation after Kelce decided to return. The Chiefs have brought in two running backs, multiple receivers, Jaylon Moore, and while a splash signing wasn’t expected, the team is moving forward, content to have their rookies shine.
