With purple hair — and a smile on his face — wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is back at the Kansas City Chiefs’ training facility for his ninth NFL season.
Still just 28 years old, Smith-Schuster is on the same quest that brought him to Kansas City two years ago: an opportunity to demonstrate his value to another team. But being back with the Chiefs is good, too.
“Being in [this] offense has helped my career in so many different ways,” he told reporters in a Zoom press appearance on Tuesday. “But it’s just fun, right? The guys I get to play with — my teammates on the opposite side — make our job a lot easier for them to do all that. But at the same time, I enjoy playing [for the Chiefs]. I enjoy the fans [and] I enjoy everything that comes with [playing in] Kansas City.”
In 2022, he did it well enough to lead the team’s wideouts in receiving yards, acquiring a Super Bowl ring and a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the New England Patriots. But after he gained just 260 yards (and a touchdown) on 29 catches over 11 games in the following season, Smith-Schuster’s late-season ankle injury proved to be the last straw for New England.
After being released during 2024’s training camp, he found his way back to the Chiefs when newly-signed wideout Hollywood Brown was injured in the preseason. His 2024 numbers were even worse — only 18 receptions for 231 yards and a pair of scores — but he remained healthy, finding an offensive niche after joining the team just as the season got underway.
Both he and the team believe he can do better in 2025.
“I want to help in every aspect I can,” he declared, “but at the same time, I want to be able to play and be able to score more touchdowns, get more yardage [and] more catches. Obviously, in my career, that’s definitely what I want — and to help this team as much as possible.”
Smith-Schuster believes that getting a full offseason with the team will make a difference.
“When you start off in OTAs, you build that relationship with your new teammates [and] the coaches,” he explained. “You get a feel for everyone on this journey. I feel like that [in] OTAs [and going] into camp, everything that builds up — you know, the scars, the bruises you’re going through throughout training camp — [makes us] know what it takes. [But] last year, I didn’t get to experience that.”
Just as he did in 2022, Smith-Schuster is already in Texas for quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ offseason workouts with his receivers, trying to “get ahead of it” for the coming season.
“It’s pretty cool, man, to see how he trains in his facility in Texas,” he said. “Man, I’m not familiar with Texas, but it’s a big state and he has a nice little compound that we train at.”
While it’s just the first step, Smith-Schuster is looking forward to the rest of them.
“It’s going to be nice to actually be back [with the team] going into the season,” he noted, “starting at the beginning with everyone.”
