USA Today

JuJu Smith-Schuster is going home (sort of). Weeks after his release by the New England Patriots, the veteran wide receiver is reuniting with the Kansas City Chiefs, as NFL Media reports, signing a contract with the defending Super Bowl champions just ahead of the start of the 2024 season.

The 27-year-old Smith-Schuster previously spent the 2022 season with the Chiefs, logging 78 catches for 933 yards and three touchdowns as one of Patrick Mahomes’ top targets during a Super Bowl run. The former Pro Bowler parlayed that production into a three-year, $33 million contract with the Patriots in the ensuing offseason, only to produce some of the worst marks of his career in an injury-riddled 2023 season.

Back in Kansas City, Smith-Schuster adds veteran insurance to a crowded but unpredictable wide receiver room including 2023 rookie standout Rashee Rice, who may or may not be suspended for his role in a high-speed offseason car crash; veteran newcomer Marquise Brown, who’s recovering from a preseason shoulder injury; and rookie first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy, a potential big-play threat.

Originally a second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, Smith-Schuster spent the first five seasons of his NFL career in black and yellow. He quickly established himself as a high-volume complement to Antonio Brown, peaking with 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven scores in 2018. Injuries cost him a combined 16 games over the next three seasons, however, and he settled for a one-year, prove-it contract with the Chiefs when he reached free agency in 2022.