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With purple hair \u2014 and a smile on his face \u2014 wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is back at the Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 training facility for his ninth NFL season.<\/p>\n
Still just 28 years old, Smith-Schuster is on the same quest that brought him to Kansas City two years ago: an opportunity to demonstrate his value to another team. But being back with the Chiefs is good, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing in [this] offense has helped my career in so many different ways,\u201d he told reporters in a Zoom press appearance on Tuesday. \u201cBut it\u2019s just fun, right? The guys I get to play with \u2014 my teammates on the opposite side \u2014 make our job a lot easier for them to do all that. But at the same time, I enjoy playing [for the Chiefs]. I enjoy the fans [and] I enjoy everything that comes with [playing in] Kansas City.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2022, he did it well enough to lead the team\u2019s wideouts in receiving yards, acquiring a Super Bowl ring and a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the New England Patriots. But after he gained just 260 yards (and a touchdown) on 29 catches over 11 games in the following season, Smith-Schuster\u2019s late-season ankle injury proved to be the last straw for New England.<\/p>\n
After being released during 2024\u2019s training camp, he found his way back to the Chiefs when newly-signed wideout Hollywood Brown was injured in the preseason. His 2024 numbers were even worse \u2014 only 18 receptions for 231 yards and a pair of scores \u2014 but he remained healthy, finding an offensive niche after joining the team just as the season got underway.<\/p>\n
Both he and the team believe he can do better in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to help in every aspect I can,\u201d he declared, \u201cbut at the same time, I want to be able to play and be able to score more touchdowns, get more yardage [and] more catches. Obviously, in my career, that\u2019s definitely what I want \u2014 and to help this team as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith-Schuster believes that getting a full offseason with the team will make a difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you start off in OTAs, you build that relationship with your new teammates [and] the coaches,\u201d he explained. \u201cYou get a feel for everyone on this journey. I feel like that [in] OTAs [and going] into camp, everything that builds up \u2014 you know, the scars, the bruises you\u2019re going through throughout training camp \u2014 [makes us] know what it takes. [But] last year, I didn\u2019t get to experience that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just as he did in 2022, Smith-Schuster is already in Texas for quarterback Patrick Mahomes\u2019 offseason workouts with his receivers, trying to \u201cget ahead of it\u201d for the coming season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool, man, to see how he trains in his facility in Texas,\u201d he said. \u201cMan, I\u2019m not familiar with Texas, but it\u2019s a big state and he has a nice little compound that we train at.\u201d<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s just the first step, Smith-Schuster is looking forward to the rest of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be nice to actually be back [with the team] going into the season,\u201d he noted, \u201cstarting at the beginning with everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Returning for his third season in Kansas City, the wideout is hoping for a return to his 2022 production.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":55344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n