One of the biggest pieces of the Kansas City Chiefs’ new-look receiver group has expressed the desire to stay with the team beyond the length of his contract.
JuJu Smith-Schuster signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs for the 2022 NFL season worth up to $10.75 million back in March. The team already amended his contract to give him a raise on his per-game roster bonuses for the season. What they haven’t done yet is find a way to lock Smith-Schuster up as a part of the offense long-term.
Speaking to media members on Thursday, Smith-Schuster was asked about how open he is to stay in Kansas City beyond his one-year deal. His answer is exactly what you’d expect.
“I would love to stay here, to be honest,” Smith-Schuster told reporters. “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.”
Through eight games this season, Smith-Schuster has recorded 44 receptions for 582 yards and two touchdowns. He pacing to have his best season since 2018, which was the best season of his NFL career and his lone selection to the Pro Bowl.
Smith-Schuster’s brief time in the K.C. offense has been everything that he expected it to be.
“I knew it was a high-powered offense just looking at numbers,” Smith-Schuster said. “Coming here, it just, you know. Last year we were kind of talking about the same thing, they were talking about it, ‘This is what the offense is supposed to do.’ And actually now being here and being in it, it’s (as advertised).”
It remains to be seen whether the Chiefs make an effort to retain Smith-Schuster beyond 2022. With the rising wide receiver market this past offseason, it’s hard to decipher what his value might look like come free agency this March. He has every reason to wait to sign a deal until after the season concludes. Now, we at least know where Smith-Schuster stands with nine weeks of the NFL’s regular season remaining.
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