The New England Patriots were on a mission this offseason to upgrade the weapons of their offense. They came away from free agency feeling good about the additions they made, which included tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Gesicki is someone the Patriots have seen plenty of the last four seasons as he played with the Miami Dolphins. Smith-Schuster also has multiple appearances against New England from his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs.
The USC product will have be counted on heavily by the Patriots, as he is taking over their No. 1 receiver role. It was previously occupied by Jakobi Meyers, but he signed with Patriots-West, agreeing to a contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Smith-Schuster bet on himself in free agency in 2022, signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs. He produced, having the best season of his career since 2018 when he was playing opposite Antonio Brown.
In New England, he is a very good fit as he is willing to do the little things that are required by Bill Belichick. He should receive plenty of opportunities to put up big numbers again as the Patriots are lacking a true No. 1 option in the passing game.
However, it is anyone’s guess when we will see him on the field. He didn’t take part in the team’s voluntary practices, but it may not be by choice. According to NFL Network’s Mike Girardi via NFL Rumors on Twitter, Smith-Schuster is still dealing with a knee injury suffered in 2022.
That certainly isn’t how Smith-Schuster was hoping his Patriots tenure would begin. These are important practices that he is missing as it is valuable time to develop chemistry and cohesion with his quarterback, Mac Jones, while also taking a deep dive into the team’s playbook.
Hopefully, he can get back onto the field for at least some portions of the mandatory OTAs. Even if he isn’t a full participant, just taking part in some drills and doing individual work would be a step in the right direction. If he is unable to get on the field, training camp at the end of July will be the next opportunity he will have to suit up with his new teammates.
