NFL

Smith-Schuster joins Patriots after Super Bowl win

By Sports Desk March 15, 2023

JuJu Smith-Schuster will join the New England Patriots after winning the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs last season.

The wide receiver has agreed a three-year contract worth $33million to sign for the Patriots despite the Chiefs attempting to retain him, according to NFL Network.

"Excited for my next chapter in New England!" Smith-Schuster wrote on Twitter after the news broke on Wednesday.

"I will give this organisation everything I have, thank you for believing in me!"

Smith-Schuster had 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns with Kansas City in 2022.

He then grabbed seven catches for 53 yards as a thrilling Chiefs comeback saw them win Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona, also drawing a crucial late holding penalty from James Bradberry.

Smith-Schuster spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being picked in the second round of the 2017 draft.

He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 after an impressive year that saw him record 111 receptions for 1,426 yards.

A shoulder injury impacted his last year in Pittsburgh but a productive season catching passes from Patrick Mahomes helped the 26-year-old to get his NFL career back on track.

Possession receiver Smith-Schuster was rated as one of the top pass-catchers available on the open market this offseason along with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jakobi Meyers.

He now joins a Patriots team that was in need of receiving talent, particularly after losing Meyers - their leading receiver for three straight seasons - to the Las Vegas Raiders.

As well as expressing his excitement over his free agency deal, Smith-Schuster showed gratitude to the Chiefs.

He added: "Thank you to Kansas City for the giving me the opportunity to come in and contribute to a Super Bowl, the most unforgettable experience of my life.

"I will always love my team-mates, the coaching staff, and the fans for being so great to me."

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