The New England Patriots are parting ways with one of their most notable free agent signings from the 2023 offseason, releasing veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Smith-Schuster signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the Patriots just last offseason, with the Pats apparently choosing him over retaining Jakobi Meyers, who left for a similar deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Smith-Schuster's release saves the Patriots just $647,059 against the cap, according to Over the Cap, and he will carry a dead-money charge of $2.63 million in 2025 as well.
Smith-Schuster's only season in New England was marred by injuries from the jump, playing in just 11 games and logging a 65% snaps rate, the lowest of his NFL career.
Smith-Schuster's Journey in the NFL
The veteran wideout had previously spent five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and one with the Kansas City Chiefs. His breakout 2018 campaign wherein he recorded 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns ended up being the high-water mark of his career to date, as he has since struggled with injuries and bouts of inconsistency.
Looking Ahead: Potential Landing Spots
The Pats will move forward with Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, and rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker as their primary wide receivers -- unless they re-enter the mix in the ever-evolving Brandon Aiyuk trade sweepstakes.
Let's walk through some potential landing spots for Smith-Schuster once he hits the open market:
Los Angeles Chargers
After parting ways with both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams earlier this offseason, the Chargers have one of the thinnest wide receiver corps in the NFL. They clearly have high hopes for second-round pick Ladd McConkey, but beyond him, it's just Josh Palmer, DJ Chark and Quentin Johnston. Smith-Schuster can be a short-area slot man and he remains a solid blocker, and it's that latter skill set that could endear him to Jim Harbaugh.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons lost Rondale Moore for the season earlier this week, and don't have much in the way of depth behind Drake London and Darnell Mooney. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson comes to Atlanta by way of the Los Angeles Rams, where they often asked their receivers to work the short and intermediate areas of the field and serve as blockers in the run game.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles signed Devante Parker this offseason to be their No. 3 wide receiver, but he elected to retire. Smith-Schuster isn't the same kind of player as Parker, who operated throughout his career as a true "X" receiver; but if the Eagles want to keep A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith on the perimeter, Smith-Schuster could slide into the slot and pick up some of those snaps.
Smith-Schuster will now look to find a new team before the start of the regular season. His release from the Patriots marks the end of a disappointing chapter in his career, but the opportunity for a fresh start may lead to new successes in the future.
