Financial ramifications make JuJu Smith-Schuster's release from the Patriots surprising
The New England Patriots decided that JuJu Smith-Schuster's tenure is over and released the veteran wide receiver on Friday, ending what is certainly an underwhelming experience. More than the cut itself, the contract repercussions are what make this move so surprising. Last offseason, JuJu signed a three-year, $25 million deal with the Patriots. It could […]
The New England Patriots decided that JuJu Smith-Schuster's tenure is over and released the veteran wide receiver on Friday, ending what is certainly an underwhelming experience. More than the cut itself, the contract repercussions are what make this move so surprising.
Last offseason, JuJu signed a three-year, $25 million deal with the Patriots. It could go to $33 million via incentives. But the main point is that it had $16 million in guaranteed money — a $7.9 million signing bonus, plus the base salaries in 2023 ($1.1 million) and 2024 ($7 million).
It means that even cutting Smith-Schuster, the Patriots still owe him $7 million, and it will hit the salary cap this year anyway. The decision to release him only freed up $647k in cap space, which is his per-game roster bonus. New England will handle $10.28 million in dead money in 2024.
The Patriots will still have $2.633 million in dead money in 2025, the final proration of his signing bonus paid in 2023. The decision makes more financial sense thinking about next year, though, because it opens up $7.5 million in cap space.
Questionable process
In 2023, the Patriots' sequence of moves was fairly criticized in the offseason. They allowed Jakobi Meyers to leave in free agency, getting a three-year, $33 million deal from the Las Vegas Raiders, and signed Smith-Schuster to a slightly cheaper contract — and it would match Meyers' total if JuJu reached the incentives.
In the end, JuJu Smith-Schuster played only 11 games for the Patriots, with 29 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, even as a secondary wide receiver behind Davante Adams in Las Vegas and with questionable quarterback play, Meyers had 71 receptions for 807 yards, and eight touchdowns — similar numbers to what he had had in New England in 2022.
During training camp, Smith-Schuster had been relegated to a backup role, behind starters Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne (PUP), and Ja'Lynn Polk. KJ Osborn, Javon Baker, and Jalen Reagor are the immediate following options.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is 27 years old. After a promising start to his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he never established himself as a top option. He spent a year with the Kansas City Chiefs and was a solid piece during their 2022 championship run, but only as a complementary weapon for Patrick Mahomes.
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