Juju Smith-Schuster contract: How much will Super Bowl winner earn with Patriots?
The New England Patriots did not waste any time in the wide receiver market and signed free agent JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal worth $33 million.
The team lost wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to free agency and had to move quickly to give Mac Jones a new weapon. Curiously, Meyers received the same contract from the Las Vegas Raiders that Smith-Schuster got from the Patriots.
JuJu was one of the top receivers available in the market following a single season spent with the Kansas City Chiefs on a prove-it deal. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft but, although he showed tons of promise at the start of his career, he could not maintain his level for the following seasons.
In a year where the AFC East is loaded with the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins returning from playoff seasons and the New York Jets extremely close to acquiring Aaron Rodgers, the Patriots needed to load up. Signing Smith-Schuster is a great way to start.
The new contract given by the Patriots includes $22,5 million in guaranteed money.
Why are Patriots signing Juju Smith-Schuster?
New England had more than enough cap space to make some moves in free agency, but the team was passive in the first two days, waiting for the market to settle. Once a strong wide receiver market did not materialize, they could move on to make some deals.
The Patriots usually don't hand out second contracts to good players they find in the late rounds of the draft, which could explain why they decided to let Meyers move elsewhere. Nevertheless, it was time for New England to go hard at the wide receiver position, the team's biggest need for 2023.
Mac Jones regressed badly in his second year and the coaching staff needs to return to its glory days. Signing Smith-Schuster is a good way to help their quarterback have a breakout year, as good wide receivers always make life easier for young quarterbacks.
With the Dolphins acquiring Jalen Ramsey, the Jets close to trading for Aaron Rodgers and the Bills have won the division for three straight years. There was no way that the Patriots could stay away from the market. It was a good signing.