Coming off a Super Bowl victory, JuJu Smith-Schuster has gotten a taste of what winning is all about and he is ready to bring that success back to the New England Patriots. 

Smith-Schuster spent the 2022 season with the Kansas City Chiefs, but signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Patriots in March. 

And he is excited to be in a place that knows a thing or two about winning. 

“The people in the organization, they brought in certain people for a reason – to win games and bring that tradition back here,” Smith-Schuster said. "The fanbase is amazing.”

Smith-Schuster was overlooked during the last few weeks of the offseason with all the focus being on DeAndre Hopkins. The free agent receiver visited with the Patriots and it seemed like a strong possibility that he would sign with New England, but instead he joined the Tennessee Titans. 

With that rumor mill officially closed and training camp underway, the focus is back on Smith-Schuster as people are getting a glimpse of what he brings to the team. 

“The experience. I’m a guy. I’m not the young dude no more on the team. I’m the vet. And just the experience playing in football and playing in playoffs and playing in big games. I can show that and help teach these guys what it takes,” Smith-Schuster said. “I’m a reliable guy that in tough times, tough situations, they can go to me,”

He added that he aims to build those connections with the other members of the offense, making it so they have confidence that Smith-Schuster will make the plays when necessary. 

And it's no surprise that he is a clear fan favorite. 

While he wasn't in attendance for open OTAs or mandatory minicamp, Smith-Schuster has been working all spring, preparing for this upcoming season with a new team. 

“Well, he’s been here all spring. JuJu’s great to work with, a really smart kid, a lot of experience, done a lot of different things. It’s merging them into some of the things that we do. Some of those are the same, some are different, some are new," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "Some things that he’s doing we’re incorporating into what we’re doing because he’s had success with them, but he’s great to work with. He’s always ready to go, very alert, attentive, smart kid. So, we’re glad we have him.”

Smith-Schuster spent the first five seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Chiefs for a season. Across his six seasons in the NFL, he has 401 receptions for 4,788 yards and 29 touchdowns across 79 games played. 

He is clearly one of Mac Jones' top receivers already, being targeted numerous times throughout the first two days of training camp. He could truly prove to be a much needed weapon for Jones when the season kicks off. 

Here is what other members of the Patriots organization have said about Smith-Schuster:

Hunter Henry

“A lot of energy. He’s fun to be around, fun to be in the locker room. And excited to work with him as we go through this camp. He’s a big piece for us and excited to have him here,” Henry said. "He’s one of the guys that did get to the ultimate prize… He comes to work every single day and wants to go achieve that again. And so he’s fun to be around, works really hard, and excited to just continue to work with him.”

Mac Jones

"Well, he’s been here all spring. JuJu’s great to work with, a really smart kid, a lot of experience, done a lot of different things. It’s merging them into some of the things that we do," Jones said. "Some of those are the same, some are different, some are new. Some things that he’s doing we’re incorporating into what we’re doing because he’s had success with them, but he’s great to work with. He’s always ready to go, very alert, attentive, smart kid. So, we’re glad we have him.”

“Juju loves football and you can see the juice that he brings,” Jones added. “He’s working really hard and doing the right thing so we just got to be consistent and I know that he will bring that veteran leadership”

Matt Groh, Director of Player Personnel

“Really excited to have Juju. Good to see him out here today. He’s been working. Guy loves ball. The guy wants to compete and the guy is tough. So I know we’re used to seeing those kinds of players at his position around her,” Groh said. “With having Juju in here, it’s a new face and a new name, but I don’t think it’ll be a big deviation from what people around here are accustomed to seeing inside.”

Featured Image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports