INDIANAPOLIS — The Kansas City Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champions and would like to retain key receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster but a number of other key receivers are training to step up if he leaves.
At the 2023 NFL Combine, head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach both talked about specific positions, especially the wide receiver position, and it looks like a number of new players are likely to step into bigger roles as Smith-Schuster’s long term status with the team remains up in the air.
Two of those potential receivers? Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, who will now have a full offseason to work with in the system as potential players that could replace him.
”I think both of them, Skyy and KT will probably have bigger roles,” Reid said. “These are two talented guys. They’ll be more familiar with the offense maybe. Both of them are really talented, I really like their attitude towards the game. They keep growing.”
Smith-Schuster is not the only Chiefs free agent wide receiver. Mecole Hardman is also a free agent. That doesn’t mean the Chiefs are looking to re-sign Smith-Schuster but they’re open-minded to the types of receivers they will need to add into the room over the offseason, as they have in the past.
“We’re not looking for physical attributes, we’re looking for good football players,” Veach said. “We’re looking for a cultural fit, how they fit into this with our coaching staff. There’s so many things we look into every year. People forget there’s a lot of dialogue. It’s not like we just like small receivers. We look for guys that pass the medical, with our coaches, and more.”
So, will JuJu Smith-Schuster be back? He only signed a one-year deal and can test the market in what is a weak free-agency class for wide receivers. Among free agents, Smith-Schuster is a player that leads all of the upcoming free agents in receptions. Numerous times in the press conference, Veach reiterated that Chris Jones and Frank Clark are players they’d like to re-sign as well. Then where does that leave Smith-Schuster? It all depends upon his market as Smith-Schuster will hit the open market and see what he can get from teams.
Click for more from Steelers Now’s coverage of the 2023 NFL Combine.