Former Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster Reunites with Chiefs

Steelers Kansas City Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) on field during the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Doug Benc)

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) on field during the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Doug Benc)

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to sign former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, according to a report by Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

Smith-Schuster had been released by the New England Patriots early in the preseason and was a free agent. The Steelers did not show any public interest in reuniting with their former draft pick, despite an obvious need a the position.

Smith-Schuster will instead get back together with the Chiefs, where he spent the 2022 season. Playing with Patrick Mahomes and company, Smith-Schuster caught 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns, the second-best yardage total of his career. He also appeared in three playoff games as the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII, adding another 10 catches for 89 yards.

The 27-year-old has been dealing with significant injuries the last few years, which limited him to 11 games for New England in 2023. He caught 29 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown, and finished sixth on the club in receiving yards. The Patriots released him after just one season of the three-year, $25 million deal they signed in 2023.

The Patriots will owe Smith-Schuster $7 million this season, with the Chiefs expected to pay him only the veteran minimum, similar to the arrangement the Steelers have with starting quarterback Russell Wilson.

The Steelers’ second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Smith-Schuster’s best seasons came in Pittsburgh. Of his career 5,048 yards, 3,855 of them came in his five seasons with the Steelers. His best year was in 2018, when he earned his lone carer Pro Bowl appearance by making 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns.

Smith-Schuster came back to the Steelers on a one-year deal for 2021 after his rookie contract expired, but the knee injury that cost him most of that season, and continued salary cap issues for the Steelers kept them from being able to retain him.

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