Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was the team’s quarterbacks coach when veteran wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster was with the Chiefs in 2022. And he liked Smith-Schuster enough that he was at the forefront of bringing him back to Chiefs Kingdom, according to Jason Anderson of Sports Radio 810 WHB.
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“Was told Nagy wanted JuJu as soon as he was released,” Anderson wrote on X — formerly Twitter — on August 26.
Anderson also explained that signing Smith-Schuster was not directly connected to a potential Rashee Rice suspension this season.
“This isn’t ‘specifically’ connected to anything related to Rashee and a potential suspension. (Could be a nice insurance policy but JuJu would be signed regardless),” Anderson continued. “Matt Nagy had a big say in bringing JuJu back to the Chiefs.”
JuJu Smith-Schuster Was a Top Weapon for Chiefs in 2022
The last time Smith-Schuster was a Chief he was one of quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘s top targets in the passing game. That’s why Smith-Schuster finished the 2022 regular season with 78 receptions, 933 yards, and 3 touchdowns, which led all Chiefs pass catchers except for tight end Travis Kelce.
This time around, Smith-Schuster’s role with the team is a bit unclear.
Second-year receiver Rashee Rice now fills the power slot role that Smith-Schuster once held in Kansas City. It’s also hard to make the case that the Chiefs are desperate for help in the receiver room even if Hollywood Brown is sidelined for the start of the regular season.
The only reason the Smith-Schuster signing makes sense is if the team believes the veteran wideout — who dealt with several injuries during the 2023 season with the New England Patriots and finished with 260 receiving yards — is better than any of the players they were considering for the WR6-WR7 role on the regular-season roster.
Brown, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, and Mecole Hardman appear to be locked into the 53-player roster. Then there’s Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Justyn Ross, and Nikko Remigio, all of which are the strongest candidates to take the final 1-2 roster spots in the receiver room.
If the Chiefs believe Smith-Schuster is better than Toney, Moore, Ross, and/or Remigio, then it makes sense for the team to sign Smith-Schuster to a veteran minimum deal. He’s still getting paid $7 million from the Patriots for the 2024 season, and on a veteran minimum deal Smith-Schuster wouldn’t cost more than Toney or Moore. That’s why Smith-Schuster makes sense as a bottom-of-the-roster addition that can provide value to Kansas City if injuries strike the receiver room.
Drue Tranquill Reacts to JuJu Smith-Schuster Signing
Chiefs veteran linebacker Drue Tranquill — who was not on the team when Smith-Schuster was last in Kansas City — was asked about Smith-Schuster re-joining the team.
“Well, Nick [Bolton] was saying he was getting treatment on the table today, and he’s like, that voice sounds so familiar. And he looked up, and JuJu (Smith-Schuster) is like, What’s up, brother?” Tranquill said on August 26, via Ed Easton Jr. of Chiefs Wire. “So I look forward to meeting JuJu and getting after it. I hear he’s a great player. He and Pat (Patrick Mahomes) have good chemistry, and I think he missed four or five games. He almost had 1,000 yards for the team a few years ago. So he’ll be a key addition for us and help us.”
Despite what was a very down year for Smith-Schuster in 2023 with the New England Patriots, he seemingly still has the respect of Kansas City’s locker room for what he did with the team two seasons ago.
