With their win over the New Orleans Saints on “Monday Night Football,” the Kansas City Chiefs extended their unbeaten start to the 2024 NFL season. But on top of that, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes may have discovered a new weapon in veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The 27-year-old, who rejoined the team in August after a year with the New England Patriots, led the Chiefs with 130 receiving yards on seven catches. It was a statement performance by the wideout after Rashee Rice’s injury.
Speaking to the media after the game, Smith-Schuster let Reid know he’s always ready for these kinds of opportunities, while claiming that he’s extremely happy to be part of the Chiefs again.
“I think when the opportunity presents itself, I want to step up,” Smith-Schuster said, via Sports Illustrated. “I love the adversity. I love being down. I love the doubts. I’ve always bet on myself. I came here on a one-year deal, bet on myself and it worked out for me. Coming back here was kind of like a no-brainer. I love the pressure my teammates put on me, [it] helps make me a better person.”
After five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith-Schuster joined the Chiefs as a free agent in 2022. He went on to win Super Bowl LVII with Reid and Mahomes, but decided to pursue a bigger contract in 2023 free agency.
Smith-Schuster open to any role on the Chiefs
The Patriots met Smith-Schuster’s salary expectations by then, handing the wideout a three-year, $33 million deal. However, nothing went according to plan on the field, which is why he left the team this offseason.
Now that he’s back in Kansas City, the USC product revealed how he processed his failed stint in Foxborough. And just in case there was any doubt, Smith-Schuster made it clear to Reid that he was willing to accept any role on the team.
“After I got released, I kind of just waited patiently,” Smith-Schuster said. “When Andy Reid called, he told me, ‘We can put you [in] a little package deal.’ Even just that, coming back to a place like here, I was OK with that. I was OK being the leader in the room, I was OK with just being the guy to try to help our young guys to get right.“
Smith-Schuster credits Reid for great game with Chiefs
With Rice and Hollywood Brown injured, the Chiefs have lost key pieces at wide receiver. Additionally, Mahomes is missing his starting running back in Isiah Pacheco, but Kareem Hunt has already filled in that role.
Smith-Schuster’s latest performance suggests he could be a dependable target on the passing game, but he believes Reid deserves credit for his most recent appearance: “To be honest, he just knows how to put guys in position. He knows how to, basically, use their strength on the field, and he exposes that. I think that’s something that, being here, I was able to do that. Like I said, I’m just super blessed. It’s an honor to be here.”
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