Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster will sign with the Kansas City Chiefs, and wrote a goodbye to Pittsburgh fans on social media on Friday.
Smith-Schuster posted a note to Steelers fans, followed by a second post with the Chiefs’ hashtag #Chiefs Kingdom.
“Thank you for taking me in and making me a part of the family from the moment that I was drafted,” Smith-Schuster wrote. “You all took me in so quickly, and I really needed it. I was a wide-eyed 20-year old who was sent to the east coast away from my family for the first time in my life, and you made me feel right at home, despite all of the loneliness I should have felt. These have been the best five years in my life. I owe so much to the fans who embraced me and who made playing on Sunday’s in Pittsburgh so special. It was an honor to wear the black and gold for you all! I love you!”
The Chiefs were one of the teams that pursued Smith-Schuster when he was a free agent in 2021, along with the Baltimore Ravens, but Smith-Schuster decided to return to the Steelers on a one-year, $8 million contract.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Smith-Schuster’s new deal with the Chiefs is for one year and $10.75 million.
Smith-Schuster is the second Steelers wide receiver top leave as a free agent, a day after Ray-Ray McCloud agreed to a deal with the San Francisco 49ers. Fellow 2021 regular James Washington remains a free agent.