What Can Chiefs Expect From JuJu Smith-Schuster Next Year?

The Kansas City Chiefs recently re-signed veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to keep him on the team for the second year overall. Next year will be his third year with the Chiefs, as in 2023, he spent a lone year with the New England Patriots.

Last year, he played in 14 games and had 231 yards and two touchdowns. Other than in 2021, where he only played five games for the Pittsburgh Steelers, these were his lowest career numbers. Heading into 2025, what role can they expect him to execute in their offense?

He'll serve as a backup to Xavier Worthy, who is projected to be their main wide receiver Patrick Mahomes will be throwing to. Similarly, they also extended Hollywood Brown. However, he'll be starting alongside Worthy and Rashee Rice.

The Chiefs are locked into their trio of wide receivers, and Smith-Schuster is their best backup. In case of an injury, he could step up and contribute to their offense. They won a Super Bowl with him as one of their main receiving options, and they've shown success with him before.

To win a Super Bowl with him again, they have to include him more in their offensive schemes. It's not like he'll be able to carry that workload all on his own, but the Chiefs could catch defenses off guard by involving him more often.

The Chiefs should be aggressive in how they play next year, and after receiving a good grade in free agency, the players they brought in should contribute to that aggressiveness. They shouldn't just be looking to win games next season but to blow teams out.

Smith-Schuster is best used to convert long third-downs and make contested catches when the lights are the brightest. I don't think it's fair to expect him to go over 1,000 yards next season, but if they want to maximize his talents, he'll have to have at least 70 or more targets.

In a receiver room where there are at least three options always looking for more targets, it may be hard to distribute them evenly, especially to someone who isn't even a starter. However, that's what makes it even better, as opposing defenses will be too focused on the main receiving options, while Smith-Schuster could be left one-on-one or wide open.

Smith-Schuster should be expected to hit around 500 receiving yards and three touchdowns at least. If all their receivers remain healthy, this may skew the number a bit. Even if they do, he could still come in on specific downs and use his pass-catching skills to move the sticks.

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