Patrick Mahomes 'Excited' to Have JuJu Smith-Schuster Back

JuJu Smith-Schuster is back just in time for the 2024 season, and Mahomes thinks he can bring quite a bit to the wide receiver room.

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver room welcomed some new faces into the fold during the offseason, but an old friend reunited with the team just in time for the 2024-25 campaign. The addition of JuJu Smith-Schuster helps solidify the group, especially with Marquise "Hollywood" Brown missing a bit of time with a sternoclavicular injury.

For Smith-Schuster, it's a welcome sight to be back in a place he's familiar with. Just two seasons ago, he had one of his better years and helped Kansas City capture its first of two Super Bowls in a row. They won earlier this calendar year without him but ahead of the push for a three-peat, their veteran wideout is expected to play a role.

Speaking to the media this week, quarterback Patrick Mahomes described how it feels to have Smith-Schuster on the Chiefs again.

“It’s super exciting," Mahomes said. "Just the person and then being in the locker room, being in the meeting rooms, he gets it, man. He gets how to be a pro, and then he works hard. He’s out here and he looks great. I’m excited for him to just continue to learn the little things that we changed in the year that he wasn’t there, but he’s picked up a lot of the stuff really fast and it’s good to have that type of guy in that receiver room.”

The Chiefs welcome Smith-Schuster back with open arms, and for good reason. In that aforementioned 2022-23 campaign, he hauled in 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns. His ability to find soft spots in zone coverage and feast over the middle of the field helped keep the offense humming along. He recorded seven receptions for first downs in the playoffs, too, posting an 83.3 catch percentage and averaging 7.4 yards per target.

Don't get it twisted: Smith-Schuster is no longer the same player. While it's been just a couple of seasons, injuries plagued him during his lone year with the New England Patriots. An ankle ailment sapped him of some explosiveness, and that's without even mentioning his knee issues that Kansas City will manage. Now months removed from the ankle sprain, though, there's hope that better fortune and a better football situation can maximize whatever the 27-year-old has in the tank.

There are also different expectations this time around. Smith-Schuster won't be wide receiver one, two or even three in 2024. He's lower on the totem pole. He has a very defined bar to meet, which is to provide a steady presence with a savvy understanding of the playbook. Locker room influence and leadership, both of which Smith-Schuster brings in spades, are also helpful.

The current Chiefs wideout collective will be headlined by Brown (once he returns), Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson. Smith-Schuster's job is to find a supporting role and thrive in it. A few things have surely changed since the last time he suited up in a Kansas City uniform but with Week 1's outing on the horizon, Mahomes and Co. think he'll pick up where he left off.

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