Giants To Release WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

The Giants went on a bargain-bin shopping spree at receiver on June 1, when they signed Smith-Schuster, Odell Beckham Jr. and Braxton Berrios to inexpensive one-year contracts. Smith-Schuster inked a $1.3MM deal with no guaranteed money. In moving on from him, the Giants will save $1.08MM while avoiding any dead money charges.

With Smith-Schuster now out the door, Beckham and Berrios will continue to vie for roster spots behind Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin. It turns out Smith-Schuster did not gain much traction in the race after suffering a knee injury early in camp, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN. He did not participate in the Giants’ preseason opener last Saturday.

The severity of Smith-Schuster’s knee issue is unknown, making it unclear if he will land anywhere else in the near future. Based on the 29-year-old’s history, he at least has the qualifications to battle for a spot somewhere.

Since the Steelers took Smith-Schuster in the second round of the 2017 draft, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder has combined for 481 receptions, 5,624 yards and 33 touchdowns in nine seasons. He was a Pro Bowler in 2018, an 111-catch, 1,426-yard, seven-TD outburst, but his production has waned in recent years.

Smith-Schuster has not hit the 40-catch or 400-yard marks in a season since he was a member of the Chiefs in 2022. After a season in New England, he returned to Kansas City for a second stint in 2024. He played 31 games with the Chiefs over the past two years and totaled just 51 catches, 576 yards and three scores.