JuJu Smith-Schuster was the New England Patriots’ big free-agent signing during the offseason, but he’s still trying to gain the confidence of coaches.
Per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, Smith-Schuster is on “increasingly shaky standing on the depth chart.” Multiple team sources have said they believe he’s “not presently among the team’s five most effective pass-catchers.”
Smith-Schuster has missed the Patriots’ last two games, but the wideout’s removal from the injury report indicates he has cleared the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol. This sets the stage for him to rejoin the lineup Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
In five games with the Patriots, Smith-Schuster has logged 14 catches for 86 yards on 25 targets. The Patriots are 2-5 this season and rank in the bottom 10 offensivly in most major statistical categories.
Smith-Schuster has had an up-and-down NFL career to this point. His two most productive seasons were his first two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he had 2,343 yards and 14 touchdowns in 30 games between 2017 and 2018. He did, however, win Super Bowl LVII with the Kansas City Chiefs this past season before joining the Patriots.
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