The Kansas City Chiefs and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster have agreed to a one-year, $10.75 million deal, a source told ESPN’s Field Yates and Jeremy Fowler on Friday.
The move provides yet another weapon on offense for quarterback Patrick Mahomes to go alongside Pro Bowlers Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
The Chiefs, who lost No. 2 wide receiver Sammy Watkins in free agency last year, struggled uncharacteristically at times on offense, lacking a consistent receiving threat other than Kelce and Hill.
Turn me up brotha!!! 💪🏽💪🏽 https://t.co/CqCkbZBJtl
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) March 18, 2022
Smith-Schuster will join a receiving corps that includes Hill, Mecole Hardman and Josh Gordon. Hardman last season had career highs in catches (59) and yards (693). Gordon produced little (5 receptions, 32 yards, 1 touchdown in 12 games) after joining the Chiefs early in the season but was recently re-signed.
The Chiefs lost last season’s third-leading wide receiver, Byron Pringle, as a free agent to the Chicago Bears.
Smith-Schuster, 25, opted to return to the Steelers last season on a one-year deal after hitting free agency, turning down more lucrative offers. His season, though, didn’t go as planned.
He injured a shoulder against the Denver Broncos in Week 5 and missed the remainder of the regular season. He finished the regular season with 15 catches for 129 yards and scored a rushing touchdown in five games.
The shoulder surgery in early October was thought to be season-ending, but Smith-Schuster returned for the Steelers’ AFC wild-card loss to the Chiefs and had five catches for 26 yards.
In five seasons with the Steelers, the former second-round pick amassed 3,855 yards and 26 touchdowns on 323 catches.
His best season came in 2018, when he earned his lone Pro Bowl selection after finishing with career-best totals of 111 receptions and 1,426 yards to go along with seven touchdown catches.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher and Brooke Pryor contributed to this report.