After long being linked to one another, a deal has reportedly been made between the Chiefs and wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, he is signing a one-year, $10.75M contract (Twitter link).
The 25-year-old has spent his entire five-year career with the Steelers. A second round pick, he established himself as the ultimate compliment to Antonio Brown during his rookie season, posting 58 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns. He took a step further the following campaign, totalling 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and another seven scores. That production earned him a Pro Bowl nod.
He failed to match those totals in the proceeding three years, however. Taking on an increased role in Brown’s absence, he has still put up noteworthy totals, but has generated a reputation as being best suited to a secondary workload. He played in just five games in 2021, totalling 15 catches.
On Kansas City, he certainly won’t need to be the focal point of the offense. The team already has All-Pro pass catchers in Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, but they have made it clear adding a third piece to compliment them was a priority. The Chiefs were named as a serious contender for Smith-Schuster last offseason, who ultimately chose to remain in the Steel City on a one-year pact to play his way into a new, more lucrative deal.
While this contract is also only one year in length, it is still a raise compared to the $8M he earned in 2021. With the likes of Allen Robinson, Davante Adams and Chris Godwin off the market, the USC product was one of the top remaining options at the position. Now, he will join a team long interested in acquiring him, and which is likely to remain a Super Bowl contender.
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