Former Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was once highly regarded as a future star in the NFL after being selected to the Pro Bowl in just his second NFL season. But after an inconsistent 2023-24 season with the New England Patriots, the veteran wideout is expected to be looking for a new home once again.
This past season, Smith-Schuster played in just seven games, recording 260 yards on 29 receptions and just one touchdown. Not exactly the kind of stat line that the Patriots may have expected considering his excellence shown off in the past in Pittsburgh.
On Friday, the team announced their intention to release Smith-Schuster from his contract, according to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk.
This means that Smith-Schuster will be joining his third team in as many seasons following his time with the Patriots and a one-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022-23 season, which was also a bit uninspiring.
At just 27 years of age, Smith-Schuster should have no trouble finding another team that is interested in bringing him in as a depth option.
But this decision by the Patriots has to make you wonder whether his days of starting, or even maintaining a consistent role on an NFL team, are potentially over.
It’s no secret that the Patriots-wide receiving corps at the moment is nothing to write home about. And if they don’t want him in the room as a potential starting option, it seems quite unlikely that many other teams would either.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.