It appears veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster learned his lesson, as he elected to re-sign with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency this time around.
FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz was the first to report the news on March 15, stating: “BREAKING: The Chiefs are re-signing WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, multiple sources tell @NFLonFOX. A key weapon for Patrick Mahomes stays in Kansas City.”
In a follow-up post, Schultz also revealed that “the former Pro Bowler had interest elsewhere, but wanted to stay in KC.”
With fellow veteran wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Justin Watson choosing to sign with new teams in NFL free agency, getting Smith-Schuster back is more important than it seems.
Like Watson, Smith-Schuster serves as more than just a pass-catcher for KC. The savvy, physical wide receiver uses his 6-foot-1 frame to play a grittier role as a blocker in both the run game and creative WR screens.
He’s also a proven team leader, providing a wealth of knowledge and experience for younger playmakers like Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, among others.
Finally, perhaps the most important reason for KC to re-sign Smith-Schuster in 2025 is his uncanny chemistry with Mahomes. Certain wide receivers just seem to click with the Chiefs’ superstar QB, and Smith-Schuster has been one of them — operating well underneath in space similar to Travis Kelce.
And with Rice potentially missing time due to a possible suspension next year, Smith-Schuster’s presence will be important as an integral backup who already has familiarity inside the KC system.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Gets Do-Over of 2023 Free Agency, Choosing to Re-Up With Chiefs This Time
Just after Schultz broke the Smith-Schuster news, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that it will be a “one-year deal” for the veteran wide receiver. So, it’s basically a short-term re-up for Smith-Schuster and Kansas City after the 28-year-old decided to return to his old team following his release last August.
Although the reunion isn’t surprising whatsoever, it is nice to see.
Two years ago in 2023, Smith-Schuster signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the New England Patriots just after winning a Super Bowl with the Chiefs. It was the first true multi-year payday of the pass-catcher’s career — although he only ended up earning a little over $16.64 million worth of that disastrous deal with New England according to Over the Cap.
By comparison the Chiefs only paid Smith-Schuster $1.21 million in 2024.
Financials aside, faced with the same decision as two years ago — stay in KC, or sign elsewhere (likely for more money) — Smith-Schuster chose to rewrite history and return. And that’s great news for the Chiefs as they attempt to win another championship in 2025.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ Passer Rating Has Never Dropped Below 100.0 When Targeting WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
Although Smith-Schuster’s overall production dipped in 2024, that was mostly due to a minimized role.
Looking a little deeper at his statistics, however, two areas still stand out as major positives in Smith-Schuster’s game. The first is his track record with Mahomes.
We talked about it above, but Mahomes and Smith-Schuster have tangible proof of chemistry. Throughout the wideout’s career, his quarterback’s respective passer ratings have only finished above 100.0 when targeting him twice, in 2022 and 2024.
In other words, when Smith-Schuster plays with Mahomes, his targets have never produced a passer rating under 100.0, at an accumulative 102.5 in 2022 and 106.4 in 2024 — which were both accomplished with Mahomes and the Chiefs.
The second under-the-radar stat is Smith-Schuster’s yards after catch.
Despite only contributing 231 receiving yards last year, Smith-Schuster still managed 155 yards after catch. That means more than half of his production came after the ball was already in his hands, and that just so happens to fit the role that head coach Andy Reid needs Smith-Schuster to play.
