Kansas City Chiefs miss out on natural Rashee Rice insurance in free agency as familiar face reunites with Matt Nagy on New York Giants
The Kansas City Chiefs won’t be reuniting with WR JuJu Smith-Schuster as he joins the New York Giants and former OC Matt Nagy. He would’ve been the perfect low-cost insurance option for Rashee Rice.
The Kansas City Chiefs have missed out on a potential reunion with a veteran player who could be a natural replacement for WR Rashee Rice if he were to miss any more time.
After a successful tryout on Monday, June 1, former Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster became one of three receivers to sign free agent contracts with the New York Giants. Smith-Schuster joined WRs Odell Beckham Jr. and Braxton Berrios on a new endeavor in the NFC East.
Fate has brought Smith-Schuster back to Kansas City before, but this time he’s following former Chiefs OC Matt Nagy to the Giants. He’ll compete for work there as they deal with injuries to Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Gunner Olszewski, who suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. He could still return to the Chiefs later if things don’t work out, but he’ll be trying to build chemistry with Jaxson Dart for now.
The Chiefs’ wide receiver options in free agency are dwindling as mystery surrounding Rashee Rice’s availability remains
The Chiefs’ wide receiver situation is shrouded in mystery right now because of No. 4. Rashee Rice has proven to be unreliable. His off-field decisions have undermined the team’s trust, and he’s running out of chances. Andy Reid insists that upon Rice’s release from jail, they’ll seek to catch him up and move forward. It’ll be up to Rice to make sure that’s the case, though.
Smith-Schuster would have been the perfect low-cost insurance option for Kansas City. He already knows the system and has played the exact role that Rice has in the past. It wasn’t long ago that Smith-Schuster led all Chiefs receivers in receptions and yards (2022). The logical explanation is that Smith-Schuster wanted a change of scenery and an opportunity to be featured, rather than play the role of veteran in the room. He did, of course, hire Drew Rosenhaus as his new agent this offseason.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Key Stats & Facts With The Chiefs
Smith-Schuster has spent three total seasons with the Chiefs, including the last two. He spent 2023 with the New England Patriots.
- 2022: 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns.
- 2024: 18 receptions for 231 yards and two touchdowns.
- 2025: 33 receptions for 345 yards and one touchdown.
Now, the Chiefs’ options for free agent wide receivers are dwindling. They have two more former players they could call on. DeAndre Hopkins could help the team weather any Rashee Rice absence. Tyreek Hill is only an option if he manages to get healthy at some point this season, working his way back from a major knee injury. The other two names to keep an eye on are Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen. They remain free agents and could be on the team’s radar come training camp.
For the time being, the Chiefs seem content to bide their time and see how things play out at wide receiver. They’re banking on new WRs coach Chad O’Shea making a tangible impact on player development in short order. Only time will tell if that strategy pays off for them.