Report: Patriots signing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster
FOXBORO -- The Patriots have a new top receiver. New England is reportedly signing free agent JuJu Smith-Schuster to a free-agent contract.
Ian Rapoport reported the news on Wednesday. Adam Schefter reported that it's a three-year, $33 million deal with $22.5 million due in the first two years.
Smith-Schuster was one of the best free-agent receivers available this offseason, and should help New England offset the loss of Jakobi Meyers. He tweeted after news broke:
"This really all day today and really last night was about the Patriots vs. the Kansas City Chiefs," Rapoport said on NFL Network. "I know he wanted to return to Kansas City, that's kind of where his heart was. The Patriots pulled at him, too. They offered more money; that helps. And plus the opportunity to kind of remake himself and rework himself and essentially start a new legacy, the opportunity to go to New England, there's a lot to like here."
Meyers reportedly signed a nearly identical three-year, $33 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this week, leaving Patriots quarterback Mac Jones without his favorite target of the 2022 season. Maybe the 26-year-old Smith-Schuster can fill that void in New England's passing game.
Smith-Schuster had a solid bounce-back season for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, catching 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns over 16 games. He had another 10 receptions for 89 yards in Kansas City's march to a Super Bowl LVII championship.
Smith-Schuster spent the first five years of his career in Pittsburgh after being selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of USC. He had a breakout year for Pittsburgh in 2018 when he established career highs in receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,426) to go with seven touchdowns. He caught a career-best nine touchdowns in 2020, and has found the end zone 30 times (including one rushing score) for his career.
