Veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract with the New England Patriots, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Smith-Schuster confirmed the news on Twitter:
JuJu Smith-Schuster @TeamJuJuExcited for my next chapter in New England! I will give this organization everything I have, thank you for believing in me! 🙏🏾🙏🏾 <a href="">
The news comes as somewhat of a surprise because Smith-Schuster had been vocal about wanting to re-sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.
"I would love to stay here, to be honest," he told reporters in November. "This offense is unbelievable. This coaching staff is unbelievable. If it was up to me, of course, why not? I get to play with one of the best quarterbacks in the game. So, yeah."
James Palmer of NFL Network reported the Chiefs tried to re-sign the veteran:
James Palmer @JamesPalmerTVThe <a href="">#chiefs</a> had been in talks with WR JuJu Smith-Schuster about re-signing him, but JuJu ends up picking the <a href="">#patriots</a> per source. New England fills a much needed hole at WR and KC is now in the market for another pass catcher.
Smith-Schuster joined the Chiefs on a one-year, $10.8 million deal ahead of the 2022 campaign after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft.
The 26-year-old had a solid 2022 season in Kansas City, catching 78 passes for 933 yards, which ranked second on the team, and three touchdowns in 16 games. He also had a nice postseason, catching 10 passes for 89 yards on 12 targets as the Chiefs went on to win their second Super Bowl title in four seasons.
In his five seasons with Pittsburgh, the USC product racked up 3,855 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in 63 games. His best season came in 2018, when he caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games en route to his first-ever Pro Bowl selection.
Smith-Schuster now figures to be a significant asset for the Patriots moving forward.
It becomes an especially important addition for New England after losing Jakobi Meyers in a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
As for the Chiefs, they'll likely look to add another receiver this offseason alongside Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
