Patriots to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster

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JuJu Smith-Schuster is heading to New England.

The Patriots have agreed to sign Smith-Schuster, according to multiple reports.

Smith-Schuster will reportedly get $33 million over three years, in the same $11 million per year range that free agent receivers Jakobi Meyers and Alan Lazard agreed to this week. (The precise structure of the contracts is not yet known.)

The 26-year-old Smith-Schuster played for the Steelers from 2017 to 2021, and played last year with the Chiefs.

Smith-Schuster was the No. 42 player on our list of the Top 100 free agents.

96 responses to “Patriots to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster

  1. If crybaby Mac Jones can’t make it work with Ju Ju this year he’ll be gone next year

  2. Downgrade from Meyers for the same contract, not sure what the logic was here.

  3. I still prefer Jeudy but this is a nice piece. Playoff experience to boot. Only 26.

  4. The Patriots just scored another #3 WR on their roster. Now all they need is a #1 and #2.

  5. He was the guy at the top of Rodgers wishlist.

    Rodgers to the Patriots confirmed.

  6. Apparently he managed to convince Belicheck that he won’t revert to the maladjusted behavior he has exhibited earlier in his career. Another reclamation project? We’ll see.

  7. Perhaps an even swap in talent to Jacoby Meyers. Nevertheless a good signing for the Pats.

  8. Wow–Smith-Schuster is going from the best QB in the world to Mac Jones. Good luck to him.

  9. So who are the Patriots going to bring in as their WR1? It’s not JuJu!

  10. Wish he would have been a Patriot when he was drafted but better late than never.

  11. Thanks for another ring JuJu. Be sure to get that money guaranteed, cuz you won’t be catching much with McCorkle throwing the ball. Look for JJSS to be “injured” by week six. LOL

  12. He better sharpen up those 5 yards or less routes with noodle arm throwing the football.

  13. To my Patriots friends who wonder why JuJu over Myers:

    1. Position flexibility, can play out wide

    2. YAC

    3. Size

  14. Pity, but thanks JuJu for your solid contributions with the Chiefs. Sad reward? Goes from a Super Bowl winner to a cellar dweller. Sad.

  15. Probably the worst team in the AFCE but it’s an upgrade on Jakobi. Have to start somewhere.

  16. Good signing. I would say the focus of the first three rounds in the draft should be both lines, offense and defense. If they could find a slot receiver in the late rounds that would be ideal. Otherwise, just pick the best player on the board the rest of the way.

  17. I would have preferred to keep Meyers.

    The Patriots offense is slow and plodding. This doesn’t make in any more so.

    They are going to need Tyquan Thornton to take a MASSIVE leap forward… and the track record of developing WRs under Belichek is poor

  18. So, they paid the same amount for him that Jakobi signed for….a known entity…your best receiver….and your QB’s favorite receiver and best friend on the team. With decisions like this I’m starting to think Jones is on his way out too. Without Jakobi Meyers, Jones stats are bottom of the pack. When Meyers is on the field, Jones is a middle of the pack QB. It’s looking like they don’t care about Mac right now. They tend to be impersonal about this….and other receivers were free agents in the past that came back for less (Edelman, Amendola, Welker) and some that got huge paydays (Branch, Givens). It was not hard to match this contract, though the guaranteed money may have been an issue. Are we signing Braxton Berrios now too? I realize Brady did not get everything he wanted….he got the cheaper guys. Is Meyers 11 mil per cheap? Not really, but it’s not bank busting either given the cap space they have in future years. Shuster gives them a bit more physicality and straight line speed (barely), but he may not be as agile in short space and definitely lacks Jakobi’s leaping ability. Shuster is not a burner. So what is he bringing and where does he play? He’s a tough player, and has had some injury shortened seasons though. He has a knack for getting open like Meyers, and he can catch and run in traffic. Loves the game. Can play inside and out, but hasn’t quite nailed down a role anywhere he has been. He is young…25 or 26, but has 6 years experience with (Roethlisberger and Mahommes) because he was drafted very young. I can see what they like….but is it enough?….it’s hard to overshadow what Meyers brings to the team. But there is one stat that jumps out at me and it is this:

    Touchdowns:

    Smith-Shuster – 31 in 6 seasons.
    Meyers – 8 in 4 season, with 6 coming in 2022.

    They like Shuster’s bigger play/red zone production, and admittedly it has been an area of weakness for the Patriots wide outs. So, from a purely business standpoint, and that’s a hallmark of the franchise, it makes some sense. From the human angle, it stings a bit. If he stays healthy, plays well, and scores touchdowns, all will be well in the end.

  19. There’s BB playing 12D chess while the rest of the league is playing mumblety-peg.

    I wonder of there was some tension between Mac and Jakobi and the Pats chose their QB over a very talented WR because otherwise…sheesh.

  20. Well he got his ring and now he gets his money. Good for him. He does a lot of work in the community where he plays.

  21. whostolemyxanax says:
    March 15, 2023 at 3:13 pm
    Downgrade from Meyers for the same contract
    —-
    He is not a downgrade from Meyers. Juju is better.

  22. erickgreynolds says:
    March 15, 2023 at 3:35 pm

    I wonder of there was some tension between Mac and Jakobi

    *********

    There was not. Meyers was Mac’s favorite and most reliable target. His numbers when Meyers wasn’t on the field are awful.

  23. BB does it again! Simply a masterstroke. Never to be doubted.

    “Free agents don’t want to play in New England.”

    Officially FALSE.

  24. erickgreynolds says:
    March 15, 2023 at 3:35 pm
    There’s BB playing 12D chess while the rest of the league is playing mumblety-peg.

    I wonder of there was some tension between Mac and Jakobi and the Pats chose their QB over a very talented WR because otherwise…sheesh.

    00Rate This

    ——————

    My guess is this is as much a Bill O’Brien thing as anything else.

    YAC, thicker body, in their minds bigger upside than Meyers. We’ll see. Smith-Schuster is arguably more explosive than Meyers, but Meyers probably gets open easier/faster with better hands.

  25. Remember when pats fans were trashing him. Lmaooo now he’s a hall of famer. I’ve always liked him but it’s funny how someone’s tune changes.

  26. G00dellMustGo says:
    March 15, 2023 at 3:38 pm
    It’s a start.

    He’s not a WR1 they still need one of those.

    21Rate This

    —————

    NE never had one of those, so you can stop pretending you know their history. NE formed 2 dynasties without a true “#1 WR”. Try to keep up.

    You have 4 good ones and you throw to the guy who is open at the right time based on the defensive coverage.

    End of story.

    Brady/Moss/Welker FAILED in postseasons in NE.

  27. Steelers fans on the watch after 1 year rental in KC.

    Lol ya right!

    I like JuU and don’t blame him for grabbing the dollars but he is going to hate playing with a terrible QB just like he was in Big Bens last year.

    Who was it that said BB was playing chess..looks like recycled checkers to me I mean he was considered trash as a Steeer/Chiefand now he is a suer star…..oh the irony

  28. Jimmypinthe416 says:
    March 15, 2023 at 3:30 pm
    Lmao. This stuff can’t be made up! It just can’t!!!
    _______________
    Patriot fans bad mouthed him when he was in Pittsburgh. Now they’ll be singing his praises.

  29. Going from Patrick Mahomes to Mac Jones Is like going from waygu beef in a 5 star restaurant to eating cold spam out of the can.

  30. Position of need filled at a great price ,nice deal by belichick and the pats brass.

  31. JuJu isn’t an upgrade over Meyers, the Chiefs weren’t interested in paying him for logical reasons, and Belichick is by far the worst GM in football. He couldn’t make it work with Antonio Brown, but he will with the TikTok guy? Nah.

  32. Congratulations JuJU. Thanks for the 1 year you played in Kansas City. Thanks for helping us win a super bowl.

  33. So now they have:

    Juju Smith Shuster – inside/outside flex, physical, run blocker, red zone production
    Davante Parker – contested/high point catch man
    Kendrick Bourne – energizer bunny, gadget play man
    Tyquan Thornton – developmental speed threat

    They could still use a valid #1 and a true slot receiver. That would be 6 wide outs on the roster, 7 if you count Slater. That’s more than usual. If Thornton developed rapidly, they could get away with just the slot receiver. And they need Tight Ends. They only have Hunter Henry on the roster, and his contract is up after 2023 (he’s just 28). Is Dalton Shultz and/or Gesicki coming? And whatever happened to OJ Howard? I remember talk about getting him from Tampa Bay a couple of years ago. I think he is a free agent off the Texans roster. His stats aren’t eye popping but at 6’6″ and 250+ pounds, he could be a Gronk like wham blocker and give them 30 receptions and 4-5 TD’s. Spit-balling here. I expect they will sign someone if only to not look desperate for a TE in the draft and tip their hand.

  34. The Dolphins lost 6 out of their last 7 games. All to teams with winning records. An overrated J. Ramsey isn’t going to fix that. Just saying if we are talking about basement dwellers.

  35. Good signing. Now trade for Jeudy and get a tackle you can count on, either side of the line.

  36. NFL players used to take a pay cut just to have the privilege of playing with Brady. Now the only reason to sign there is to get paid.

    Bill should have left when Brady left – he’s already tarnished his legacy and it’s only going to get worse with Allen, Rodgers and Tua battling it out for the lead in the AFCE.

  37. Mahomes to Noodles… that’s definitely penthouse to the crapper!.. Brady left so did Any chance of winning.. bb = mediocre..

  38. Bill should have left when Brady left – he’s already tarnished his legacy
    —-
    Not at all. Also Brady has ZERO winning seasons without elite coaching (Bill HOF lock, Arians HOF maybe, 2x NFL COTY, holder of multiple NFL and franchise coaching records).

  39. crowmeariver says:
    March 15, 2023 at 4:24 pm
    Good signing. Now trade for Jeudy and get a tackle you can count on, either side of the line.


    Jeudy would be nice. Not sure I’d want to part with a first rounder though and that’s what it will take.

  40. jameshodges says:
    March 15, 2023 at 4:22 pm
    JuJu isn’t an upgrade over Meyers, the Chiefs weren’t interested in paying him for logical reasons, and Belichick is by far the worst GM in football. He couldn’t make it work with Antonio Brown, but he will with the TikTok guy? Nah.

    ***********************************************************

    Winning six Lombardi Trophy’s, nine conference Championships, 17 Division Titles, and compiling a record of 262-108 with the incredibly bad rosters he assembles (because of his allegedly worst GM skills in football), is the biggest, most coincidental, luckiest, results by any coach, ever. Any moment now, Belichick will go 4-13 and the truth will be revealed!!!! Errrrrr……..

  41. touchback6 says:
    March 15, 2023 at 3:50 pm
    G00dellMustGo says:
    March 15, 2023 at 3:38 pm
    It’s a start.

    He’s not a WR1 they still need one of those.

    21Rate This

    —————

    NE never had one of those, so you can stop pretending you know their history. NE formed 2 dynasties without a true “#1 WR”. Try to keep up.

    You have 4 good ones and you throw to the guy who is open at the right time based on the defensive coverage.
    —-
    Randy Moss, Deion Branch Cooks and Edelman weren’t #1 WRs? Ok.

  42. The reason why the Bill Belichick coaching tree notoriously fails is because there is no Bill Belichick coaching tree. It’s the Tom Brady coaching tree and they all owe their success to him.

  43. Bill Belichick won’t retire or give up his GM role, Robert Kraft won’t fire him, and the other teams are getting better in the division. Are you Patriots fans having nightmares yet? The worst is still yet to come.

  44. jameshodges says:
    March 15, 2023 at 4:22 pm
    JuJu isn’t an upgrade over Meyers,

    Yes he is.

  45. Ju Ju is a hidden gem. He played with crap QBs in Pitt and he was basically a 1000yd receiver in KC. He will be a 1000yd receiver for years with just a decent QB. He has excellent value

  46. The Dolphins lost 6 out of their last 7 games. All to teams with winning records. An overrated J. Ramsey isn’t going to fix that. Just saying if we are talking about basement dwellers.
    **************************
    And still made the playoffs with a 3rd string rookie 7th round pick playing QB.

  47. touchback6 says:
    BB does it again! Simply a masterstroke. Never to be doubted.
    “Free agents don’t want to play in New England.”
    Officially FALSE.
    ——————
    just over-priced, under-productive, immature ones…

  48. austinspencer says:
    March 15, 2023 at 5:00 pm
    and here’s where his career ends along with his Tik Tok dances.
    ———-
    I wonder what Jackson Mahomes thinks about this.

  49. Let’s not forget that Tom Brady was never at any time anything more than a nice little system QB with a little arm who retired with ZERO winning seasons without an elite coach.

    So weird. I thought this guy was the greatest of all time. Huh.

  50. jokersc says:
    March 15, 2023 at 4:41 pm
    JuJu isn’t an upgrade over Meyers

    In what way is Meyer better than JJSS?


    At throwing backward laterals that get picked and returned for game losing TDs? That’s about it I think.

  51. “Not at all. Also Brady has ZERO winning seasons without elite coaching.” Um, Brady has multiple winning seasons without Belichick and no elite coaching. Bruce Arians never won even a conference title prior to having Tom. Belichick has zero rings or division titles as the Patriots coach without Brady. The Patriots went 5-11 back in 2000.

  52. The backwards pass game will always be second best to the time the Patriots elected to kick to start overtime.

  53. Decent signing for March. They still need a new Welker/Edelman, a quick go to guy on 3rd and 5+ yards. Maybe that’ll be Marcus Jones, but Edelman had a tough, fearlessness about going over the middle for those quick throws. Like Edelman, he can play all over.

  54. Meyers didn’t carry drama and distractions with him. That’s why he’s better than JuJu. You Patriots fans are so far behind the curve right now. It’s not even funny.

  55. Randy Moss, Deion Branch Cooks and Edelman weren’t #1 WRs? Ok.
    ===========

    Wes Welker found this amusing.

  56. overpaid for a WR3. Plus he has baggage Won’t help NE get out of the cellar.

  57. JuJu was a vital contributor for a SB champion. He’s admitted he has bad knees. Hopefully he can stay healthy. Best of luck from a Chiefs fan!

  58. Arians HOF maybe..
    ==========

    Does he even belong in the Cardinals or Buccaneers HOF?

  59. KC fan who is happy that JuJu got a ring last year. I have seen comments about his knees, Tic Tok,ect. The thing that as most frustrating was how many times he disappeared during the season. Below are some game stats from last year (not including the JAX game where he was knocked out:

    REC /Yards
    2. 35
    2 21
    3. 27
    3. 35
    3. 38
    3. 33
    3. 10

  60. Randy Moss, Deion Branch Cooks and Edelman weren’t #1 WRs? Ok.

    +++++++++++++++++++++

    Deion Branch and Edelman were not #1 receivers, they were level 2 receiver BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT CAPABLE OF OPENING SPACES FOR OTHERS. It was Brady who elevated them to top receivers.

    Just ask yourself why Edelman was able to reach the ball before 2 Falcons defenders in SB. With any other QB, the play wouldn’t even exist or the ball would be intercepted.

  61. How’s JuJu’s backward lateral?

    +++++++++++++++++++++

    He is not, but he is not as good as Jakobi Meyers on route running, meaning those short routes won’t work anymore. So Mac Jones needs even better protection.

  62. All you Pats homers arguing about how impressive their past let’s not forget the most recent three years without Brady and with the Chess paying BB …two out of three losing seasons…so relax homers.

  63. Winning six Lombardi Trophy’s, nine conference Championships, 17 Division Titles, and compiling a record of 262-108 with the incredibly bad rosters he assembles (because of his allegedly worst GM skills in football), is the biggest, most coincidental, luckiest, results by any coach, ever. Any moment now, Belichick will go 4-13 and the truth will be revealed!!!! Errrrrr……..

    +++++++++++++++

    You just present overwhelming evidence that Belichick’s way (being cheap on offense) worked was because of Brady and the garbage was a product of Tom Brady.

  64. If only the Chinese dreamed about landing in the moon in a Toyota Corolla while throwing invisible passes only his own WRs could see. There’s your proof.

  65. ztoa says:
    March 15, 2023 at 6:48

    Just ask yourself why Edelman was able to reach the ball before 2 Falcons defenders in SB. With any other QB, the play wouldn’t even exist or the ball would be intercepted.

    ———————————-

    Because Edelman was a freak when if came to fast twitch quickness in tight spaces? Was that it?

  66. If only the Chinese dreamed about landing in the moon in a Toyota Corolla while throwing invisible passes only his own WRs could see. There’s your proof.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Pats QB coach opens up about Newton’s recent struggles
    “There’s clearly some times that we haven’t pulled the trigger fast enough and therefore we’re hitching a couple extra times or holding onto the ball a little bit longer than we would like to, and that kind of can cause many things,” Fisch said. “It (a little big longer) can cause a negative play, a sack, an interception, an incompletion, a late throw.”

    Even a rock on a pair of shoulders know that Cam Newton was not kind of QB you would expect “pull the trigger fast”, but Belichick didn’t know, hence a garbage.

  67. the bottom line, ‘cuz Stone Cold says:
    March 15, 2023 at 5:55 pm
    Arians HOF maybe..
    ==========

    Does he even belong in the Cardinals or Buccaneers HOF?
    ——
    Holds the Cardinals franchise record for single season coaching wins so I’d say yes. Bucs? He has the highest win% as a coach there in franchise history and that includes guys like Dungy and Gruden. Coached Jameis Winston to a 5000 yard season with an inferior team compared to what Brady had.

  68. Arians also holds the NFL record for coaching the biggest season to season turnaround in history and was the only interim coach in the history of the NFL to be named coach of the year.

    Elite? You bet he is.

  69. Because Edelman was a freak when if came to fast twitch quickness in tight spaces? Was that it?

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Yes, so were lot of defenders.

    Just watch Edelman’s catch in the middle field in the TD drive in 2019 SB against Rams. Check the time Brady released the ball, the reason Edelman was wide open for first down.

    That is why once Brady left, so were those “easy” routes and “easy” throws, because the reason they were wide open was because of THE TIME Brady threw the balls.

  70. JuJu has made a living from riding on others coattails. First it was ABin Pitt then it was Mahomes in KC, now it will be Mac Jones in NE. Wait…2 out of 3 ain’t bad.

  71. touchback6 says:
    March 15, 2023 at 3:50 pm
    G00dellMustGo says:
    March 15, 2023 at 3:38 pm
    It’s a start.

    He’s not a WR1 they still need one of those.

    21Rate This

    —————

    NE never had one of those, so you can stop pretending you know their history. NE formed 2 dynasties without a true “#1 WR”. Try to keep up.

    You have 4 good ones and you throw to the guy who is open at the right time based on the defensive coverage.

    End of story.

    Brady/Moss/Welker FAILED in postseasons in NE.
    ———-
    Lol!
    Logical reasoning is not a strength for your it seems.

    They never had or needed #1 WR because the goat was making the plays and elevating people. Now Mac Jones is in town and he’s mediocre. So you would need (or at least should) a WR1

    Tried to put it in simple terms. Try to keep up.

  72. jameshodges says:
    March 15, 2023 at 5:37 pm
    Meyers didn’t carry drama and distractions with him. That’s why he’s better than JuJu. You Patriots fans are so far behind the curve right now. It’s not even funny

    —————————————————-

    Our team has not been good for four years and yet we still have other fan bases hanging around worrying about us. So it actually is a little funny.

  73. ztoa says:
    March 15, 2023 at 7:48 pm
    Because Edelman was a freak when if came to fast twitch quickness in tight spaces? Was that it?

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Yes, so were lot of defenders.

    ——————————————-

    Exactly correct. So were a lot of defenders. And Edelman spent his career beating them.

  74. Juju is more athletic than Meyers, more evasive than Meyers (compare the YAC stats) and he can get in the end zone. Meyers if you remember has the NFL record for the most receiving yards without a TD. That’s not going to be a problem with JJSS.

    It’s an upgrade and the Patriots still need more talent on offense. Both can be facts.

    Also this deal is actually less than what Meyers got. It’s 3/25 and only max incentives can push it up to 3/33.

  75. This adds more pressure on Mac Jones to prove that he is the long term answer in New England.

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