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News, Blog and Guideswide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has joined Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, leaving the Steelers for the Chiefs as a free agent after five years.
Stats PerformUpdate: Mar 19th, 2022 13:04 EDT
Joe Sargent/Getty Images
Patrick Mahomes has welcomed the arrival of a new Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver to target after JuJu Smith-Schuster secured a one-year, $10.75million deal. Smith-Schuster announced his departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday.
The one-time Pro Bowler had spent his entire NFL career to date with the Steelers, with 323 catches for 3,855 receiving yards and 26 receiving touchdowns across 63 games in five seasons. Taken in the second round in the 2017 NFL Draft, Smith-Schuster was an instant hit with seven receiving TDs in each of his first two seasons, including a pair of 97-yard scores – becoming the first player in NFL history to have multiple offensive TDs of that distance or more.
There were 1,426 receiving yards in 2018, before a step back in 2019 was followed by a career-high nine receiving TDs in 2020. Limited to five games by a shoulder injury while the Steelers toiled on offense with the retiring Ben Roethlisberger still at quarterback, Smith-Schuster‘s only score last season was his first career rushing TD.
Paired with Mahomes, though, the 25-year-old can feel confident he will get his career back on track in Kansas City. Wideout Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce will remain Mahomes’ primary weapons, targeted on 28 per cent and 25 per cent of their routes respectively last season, but there is room for another option after Sammy Watkins left following the 2020 campaign. Byron Pringle departed this offseason in free agency and Mecole Hardman has yet to live up to his second-round draft status.
Can’t wait to get after it my boy! https://t.co/fKjuFxqhAf
— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) March 18, 2022
Mahomes thrilled with Smith-Schuster signing
Superstar Mahomes certainly appears eager to link up with Smith-Schuster, quickly welcoming his signing on social media after the new man posted: “#ChiefsKingdom Let’s Go!”
