According to NFL Media, the New England Patriots will release veteran wide receiver and former USC star JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Smith-Schuster, 27, signed with the club on a three-year, $33 million contract in March of 2023, but never found his footing or helped boost New England’s offense, which finished last season ranked 31st in scoring and 30th in yards.
He played in 11 games as a Patriot, starting seven, with 29 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown.
Smith-Schuster said this offseason that he is fully committed and fully healthy, putting a bounce-back season on the radar for him in his well-traveled NFL career.
That said, the former USC alum is still just 27 years old. A team surely will take a flier on the eighth-year performer, as he has given quality work at the wideout position in the the past. Smith-Schuster has a Super Bowl championship to his credit with the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith-Schuster helped the Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII one and a half years ago.
Source: The #Patriots are releasing WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. While a surprise, this move does give Smith-Schuster the chance to sign somewhere before the season. pic.twitter.com/r4ydvyXcYC
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2024
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