The New England Patriots are releasing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, NFL Network reported on Friday.
Smith-Schuster, 27, was entering the second season of a three-year, $25.5 million deal with the Patriots. He didn’t appear in New England’s Thursday night preseason win against the Carolina Panthers.
Last season, Smith-Schuster totaled just 29 receptions for 260 yards and one touchdown. He was limited to 11 games due to head and ankle injuries, respectively.
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Smith-Schuster spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2017-21), who selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of USC. He then spent the 2022 season with the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he won Super Bowl LVII, before signing with the Patriots.
[Related: Why the NFL doesn’t have to worry about the Patriots any time soon]
New England selected two wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft, those being Ja’Lynn Polk (No. 37) and Javon Baker (No. 110). The rest of its receiver room includes Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn, second-year player Demario Douglas and third-year player Tyquan Thornton, among others.
New England was recently in the mix to acquire San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who’s seeking a contract extension, before he reportedly expressed that he wasn’t interested in signing a long-term deal with the Patriots.
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