A former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver just became a free agent, but Brett Veach might be better off avoiding a reunion
JuJu Smith-Schuster is a free agent once again, but Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach might want to sit this one out.
A former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver just became a free agent.
On Tuesday, the New York Giants signed veteran running back Najee Harris, and in a corresponding move, will release veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Once upon a time in 2022, Smith-Schuster led all Chiefs wide receivers in receptions with 78 and receiving yards with 933. He had an injury-riddled season with the New England Patriots in 2023, then returned to Kansas City in 2024 when the wide receiver group got hit by the injury bug.
Smith-Schuster was with K.C. again last year in 2025, notching 33 receptions for 345 yards and a single touchdown. The Chiefs let Smith-Schuster leave in free agency this offseason as they sought to rebuild their skill-position group and go in a different direction.
Now that Smith-Schuster is available again, and the Chiefs are facing some injuries in the wide receiver room, it could be enticing for GM Brett Veach to bring back the veteran. He’d immediately be the most experienced receiver on the roster, having played in the NFL since 2017 when he entered the league out of USC with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, there are a few reasons Veach might want to hold off on signing Smith-Schuster.
The health and status of the wide receiver room
The Chiefs have seen Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Cyrus Allen, and now Tyquan Thornton miss practices at training camp. Second-year receiver Jimmy Holiday was having a strong camp before missing time with a quad injury. UDFA wide receiver Jeff Weimer, who was recently signed, is now missing time with a hamstring issue. Suddenly, depth might be a concern at this position.
Yet, bringing in a veteran like Smith-Schuster could hurt the team at this point. Yes, he has experience with the team and real chemistry with Patrick Mahomes, but so do players who have worked hard this offseason to push for the 53-man roster. Guys like Jalen Royals, Andrew Armstrong, and Nikko Remigio need all of the repetitions they can get to potentially make the 53-man roster or the practice squad and make real contributions to this football team.
Adding Smith-Schuster would only push those players further down the depth chart, limiting their opportunities to earn meaningful reps and make an impact on the club.
The Chiefs have enough healthy receivers to get by (for now)
Right now, the Chiefs have 9 fully healthy wide receivers. Several of those players could be called upon to contribute for the first-, second-, and third-team offenses in preseason Week 2 against the Bucs. The last thing you want is to stop a breakout candidate in their tracks by limiting their reps in training camp, practice, and the preseason.
If Thornton’s injury is serious enough and the Chiefs believe he will miss real time during the regular season, it might make sense to bring back Smith-Schuster. He’s a veteran who knows the system and can play the roles the team needs him to play, however unexciting it may be.
The one thing Kansas City can’t risk doing, however, is stunting the development of the young players who will be the future of this football team. There’s a reason that Smith-Schuster didn’t work out for a wide-receiver-depleted New York Giants team. It has nothing to do with the TikTok dancing. He played nearly 60% of the snaps last season with the Chiefs and finished sixth on the team in receiving yards. Fans will never forget his past contributions, but Smith-Schuster’s best days in the NFL might already be behind him.
