Jerod Mayo reflects on the Patriots’ decision to release receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
JuJu Smith-Schuster’s final game with the New England Patriots came in the first preseason game.
The wide receiver was released on Friday, less than 24 hours after playing 11 offensive snaps against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. The transfer has a cost cap. However, on the field, it indicated a shift toward youth under executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo.
“It was a decision between Eliot and myself,” Mayo told reporters ahead of Sunday’s Patriots practice. “Really to give the younger guys an opportunity to go out there and get more reps and show what they can do.”
Smith-Schuster, 27, agreed to a three-year, $25.5 million contract with New England as NFL free agency began in 2023. The veteran’s impending base pay of $7 million is fully guaranteed under the pact. According to OverTheCap.com, his departure from the 90-man roster leaves $9.633 million in dead money for 2024 and $2.633 million for 2025.
Last season, Smith-Schuster dealt with knee and ankle injuries before being placed on injured reserve in December. He had appeared in 11 games prior to that, catching 29 catches on 47 targets for 260 yards and one touchdown against the Miami Dolphins.
Despite returning to “100% healthy” for scheduled team activities in May, last year’s decrease in explosiveness persisted. And, with a wider receiving room and more separators than before, Smith-Schuster was unable to make up ground as he had previously.
“I mean, that’s part of it,” Mayo said when questioned about Smith-Schuster’s lengthy injury history. “At the same time, we simply want him to be healthy. He still has some good ball left in him, and I wish him all the best.”
Smith-Schuster, who was selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft, had 323 receptions for 3,855 yards and 26 touchdowns while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He broke loose for 97 yards and seven touchdowns in consecutive seasons. And, at 22, the USC product posted career highs with 111 catches and 1,426 yards on his way to Pro Bowl honors. He received a Super Bowl LVII ring during his one year with the Kansas City Chiefs before moving to Foxborough.
The August release affords Smith-Schuster the chance to catch on elsewhere before the league’s 53-man roster deadline hits. And it affords New England’s recent draft investments the chance to develop full-time roles come September.
Ja’Lynn Polk came out of the University of Washington as the 37th overall pick in the 2024 class. Javon Baker, the 110th overall pick, came from Central Florida. The rookie wideouts’ promising preseason debuts are now a distant memory. They move forward on a depth chart that includes DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Tyquan Thornton, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor, and Kendrick Bourne, who is on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his ACL last fall.
The current roster of 11 players includes futures signing Kawaan Baker and undrafted free agents David Wallis and JaQuae Jackson.
