JuJu Smith-Schuster bet on himself again as a free agent in 2022. He signed a one-year deal for the second consecutive season, landing with the Kansas City Chiefs as part of their revamped wide receiver group. It turned out to be a wonderful decision for Smith-Schuster, who got his career back on track.
Any wide receiver that is looking to rehab their value would love to be on the receiving end of Patrick Mahomes’ attempts in a past-friendly offense. JuJu Smith-Schuster took full advantage of the void in their offense with Tyreek Hill being traded to the Miami Dolphins.
The USC product had one of the most productive seasons of his career. The 933 yards were the most since his career-high of 1,426 in 2018 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Overall, he caught 76 passes and scored three touchdowns.
That kind of production should lead to plenty of teams making calls to him this off-season. Knowing there is a chance that he leaves, the Chiefs made a concerted effort to bring in long-term wide receiver options as well. They selected Skyy Moore in the 2022 NFL Draft and traded for Kadarius Toney ahead of the deadline.
Kansas City would love to bring JuJu Smith-Schuster back into the fold, but he should have a healthy market in free agency. One team to keep an eye on according to an NFL Executive that spoke to NFL Analysis Network is the Indianapolis Colts.
“There is one potential landing spot to keep an eye on for JuJu (Smith-Schuster). Indianapolis is a team that had interest in him last year. With their need for a No. 1 target more clear now than ever, watch the Colts as a potential suitor.”
The Colts have a nice first option in Michael Pittman Jr. who took a small step back in 2022 along with the entire offense as Matt Ryan was a major letdown at quarterback. A second-round pick was used on Alec Pierce in the 2022 NFL Draft and the Colts did receive a career season from Parris Campbell. But, Campbell is set to be a free agent himself.
JuJu Smith-Schuster would be a nice fit alongside those options as someone that can play all over the formation. A team that is built around running the ball with Jonathan Taylor, Smith-Schuster isn’t afraid to mix it up and is an excellent blocking wide receiver, so he would fit in the scheme from that sense as well.
Indianapolis will be in the top half of the league when it comes to salary cap space. A large portion of that will be used on a quarterback, but they should also ensure that whoever is under center has as many weapons as possible to work with. JuJu Smith-Schuster would be a nice upgrade for the team.
