Getty Kansas City Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
With so many new wide receivers on the Kansas City Chiefs, one can’t help but look to the future in terms of which pass-catchers are locked up long-term.
Kansas City gave Marquez Valdes-Scantling a three-year contract this offseason. However, that deal also has a potential opt-out after the 2022 season, making it a one-year deal if the Chiefs decided to go that route. Outside of MVS, the Chiefs don’t have a top receiver under contract following the 2022 season outside of rookie Skyy Moore.
That’s why one Chiefs analyst believes the defending AFC West champions should dish out a contract extension to one of the team’s new receivers that could be on the verge of a monster season.
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Fann: Chiefs Should Give JuJu an Extension
Josh Fann of Arrowhead Addict recently made a case as to why the Chiefs should give veteran receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster a contract extension before he has played a meaningful snap for Kansas City.
“What would the benefit be to locking up Smith-Schuster long-term so early? If he can be what we want and expect him to be for the Chiefs, which would be a No. 1 wide receiver talent and potentially a career year in this offense, then signing him now would probably get you a good deal because his price is only going to go up,” Fann wrote on August 18.
Although Fann does note that extending JuJu now could save the Chiefs money long-term, he also recognizes that there is a lot of risk by extending a receiver that hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2018 and hasn’t played a regular season snap yet in Kansas City.
“There are also some risks to signing Smith-Schuster long-term now, though,” Fann continued. “One of which is the possibility that he’s just not the same guy he once was and he happened to catch lightning in a bottle early on with the Steelers. Then, you would be stuck with an albatross of a contract if he doesn’t pan out. Smith-Schuster also has to prove he can stay healthy after missing nearly all of 2021 with a shoulder injury.”
Should Chiefs Extend JuJu Smith-Schuster?
While there’s a lot of intrigue in extending JuJu now based on the chemistry we’ve seen with him and quarterback Patrick Mahomes during training camp, it will likely not happen this summer.
Between having not played meaningful snaps yet for the Chiefs to needing to prove he can be a healthy and productive pass catcher, JuJu needs to show a few things over the course of the 2022 season before general manager Brett Veach dishes out a contract extension to him.
Even if JuJu does play well this season, a higher level of play from MVS and Mecole Hardman — who is in the last year of his rookie deal — could merit the Chiefs retaining MVS past 2022 and giving Hardman a new deal. If that happens, then there isn’t much financial room to keep JuJu around.
So, we will likely see JuJu play out the 2022 season on the one-year deal and explore his options during the 2023 offseason.