The New England Patriots could be looking to get rid of both of their veteran wide receivers, DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed and Andrew Callahan.
They have already reportedly informed Parker that they intend to release him on Wednesday. That leaves Smith-Schuster as potentially the next option to be shown the exit door in New England.
Parker was acquired by New England in April 2022. He signed a three-year contract extension last June. He has recorded 64 catches for 933 yards and three touchdowns in his two seasons with the Patriots.
Smith-Schuster was thought to be a Jakobi Meyers replacement when the Patriots signed him to a three-year, $33 million contract in March 2023. Injuries and on-field inconsistencies plagued Smith-Schuster last season. He finished the year with 29 catches for 260 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. He made seven starts with the team.
Via NESN’s Adam London, the Boston Herald wrote:
The Patriots could sign multiple veterans, knowing they’re likely to follow a rookie quarterback into next season. The front office is also reportedly looking to offload veterans DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
New England is undoubtedly focused on revamping its offense. It will be interesting to see what becomes of Smith-Schuster. If they couldn’t move Parker in a trade, they’ll likely have a hard time doing so with Smith-Schuster as well.