Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp Preview: Naming the veteran player in most danger of getting cut before Week 1
Each year in training camps throughout the NFL young players step up and take veterans' jobs. Most guys are replaceable, and the older they get the more alert they have to be about the possibility of getting cut. That could be the case for this Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver over the next month and […]
Each year in training camps throughout the NFL young players step up and take veterans' jobs.
Most guys are replaceable, and the older they get the more alert they have to be about the possibility of getting cut. That could be the case for this Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver over the next month and a half. . .
JuJu Smith-Schuster is the Chiefs veteran in most danger of getting cut before Week 1
Smith-Schuster returned to Kansas City in 2024 when Hollywood Brown went down with a long-term shoulder injury during the preseason. A one-year stint with the New England Patriots didn't shake out like either side had hoped in 2023, leading to Smith-Schuster's release.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Smith-Schuster in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. There he recorded three seasons of at least 800 receiving yards, including a career-high 1,426 in 2018. In 2022 Smith-Schuster came to K.C. and led all Chiefs WRs in receptions (78), yards (933), and touchdowns (3).
Despite Brown and Rashee Rice missing most of the 2024 season, Smith-Schuster didn't make much of an impact. His biggest performance came in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints when he caught seven passes for 130 yards. Unfortunately, Smith-Schuster injured his hamstring the following week, which derailed his momentum and costed him the next three games.
When he returned, Smith-Schuster didn't catch more than two passes in a single game. Despite that, the Chiefs decided to re-sign him during the offseason. However, a spot on the 53-man roster won't come as easy as it did last year. Rice and Brown are now fully healthy, and Xavier Worthy developed into K.C.'s top WR in 2024.
Those three are firmly atop K.C.'s WR corps, leaving likely only three more spots behind them. Smith-Schuster will face some fierce competition from rookie Jalen Royals, former Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, return specialist Nikko Remigio, and Chiefs 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore.
One disadvantage Smith-Schuster will have is that he does not play on special teams, whereas most of the others do. It would be quite a surprise if fourth-round pick Royals didn't' make the roster, and Remigio was excellent as a return man last year. Thornton's skillset fits perfectly in coach Andy Reid's offense, and he brings special teams value as well. Smith-Schuster is going to have to return close to his 2022 form if he is going to survive cuts in late August.