Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has put himself in a position to get paid during the 2023 offseason. After signing one-year deals with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chiefs, he should be in a position to land a multi-year pact in free agency in a few weeks.
JuJu Smith-Schuster did a wonderful job rehabbing his value in 2022 in Kansas City. He did a great job filling the void left by Tyreek Hill getting traded to the Miami Dolphins and any pass catcher would benefit from receiving targets from Patrick Mahomes.
In 16 games, JuJu Smith-Schuster caught 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns. He helped terrorize defenses over the middle of the field, working shallow and intermediate routes off of tight end Travis Kelce wreaking havoc working the seams.
JuJu Smith-Schuster also brings intangibles to the table that teams like. He isn’t afraid to do the dirty work over the middle, still finding success as a pass catcher there despite some bone-jarring hits in his career. Also, he is excellent as a run blocker, bringing physicality to the position.
There are a lot of teams that should be in the market for a wide receiver upgrade this offseason, so JuJu Smith-Schuster should have plenty of suitors. One team who could show some interest is the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas has a bonafide No. 1 receiver in CeeDee Lamb, who proved he can handle the role during the 2022 season. That is something that normally would drive some players away, but for JuJu Smith-Schuster, that could be appealing as his best seasons have all come as the second option in the passing game. Earlier in his career with the Steelers, he played behind Antonio Brown and this past season it was behind Kelce.
When being courted in free agency last year, JuJu Smith-Schuster said that he was impressed by the facilities that the Cowboys boast. He also noted that he wouldn’t mind catching passes from Dak Prescott, who could use a little more help in the passing game to help get him back on track.
Adding JuJu Smith-Schuster to Michael Gallup as support behind Lamb would be a smart move for the Cowboys’ offense. With tight end Dalton Schultz hitting free agency, the team could be in the market for another pass catcher. While they don’t play the same position, the impact on the field could be similar. Both are good run blockers and someone that can work the middle of the field and seams with success.
