Getty Bill Belichick, Patriots coach, is prepared for rumors at the NFL trade deadline
When it comes to generosity, the folks at Bleacher Report must consider the Kansas City Chiefs to be downright philanthropic. That’s because, in their latest assemblage of team needs across the NFL, B/R offers up what might otherwise seem unthinkable to Patriots fans: a JuJu Smith-Schuster trade rumor.
Yes, the notion of the Chiefs taking back Smith-Schuster after he signed with the Patriots this offseason is being floated at B/R. Will it happen? Longshot, at best. But it is a pleasant scenario to imagine, and it is comforting to know that Smith-Schuster might, possibly, still have some value out in the rest of the NFL world, no matter what a bust he has been in New England.
The logic at B/R is solid. The Chiefs have already taken back one of their failed ex-receivers, Mecole Hardman, and are still looking for more reliable pass-catchers. The best options in the NFL trade market are all teams that would rather fold than make a trade with the Chiefs — the Raiders’ Hunter Renfrow, the Broncos duo of Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.
If the Chiefs are desperate, maybe they go back to a guy who is at least familiar with Patrick Mahomes and the K.C. system. That would be Smith-Schuster, who was part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl winner last year.
Patrick Mahomes doing Patrick Mahomes things 👀
Mahomes did not give up on the play and finds Juju Smith-Schuster in the end zone for the Chiefs TOUCHDOWN!
Trade Rumors on Patriots’ JuJu Smith-Schuster Very Welcomed
Here’s what B/R’s staff had to say about the joyous possibility that JuJu Smith-Schuster could land in a Patriots trade rumor:
“The Chiefs already reunited with a former wide receiver by trading for Mecole Hardman last week. Yet they were still reportedly gauging the trade market for receivers, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. …
“The Chiefs might have to go out of the box if they want to acquire a receiver. Smith-Schuster is not a popular trade candidate because he’s in the first year of a three-year deal, but it’s a team-friendly contract and the Patriots have not really used him.”
Patriots fans would be quick to remind the B/R staffers that there are other reasons that Smith-Schuster is not a popular trade candidate — namely that in five games he has tallied just 14 catches and 86 yards receiving.
Oh, and there is the injured knee that SI.com NFL insider Albert Breer claimed was threatening to “explode.” Smith-Schuster was not a popular free agent target this offseason, Breer said on 98.5 last month, because of fear around the knee.
“There was a lot of concern that the knee was going to get worse not better, by other teams. Which is why other teams stayed away from him,” Breer said.
Smith-Schuster Emblematic of Patriots Struggles
It’s not exactly fair to Smith-Schuster, but his contract, which came in at three years and $25 million, has come to symbolize the boneheaded decisions made by coach Bill Belichick and the team’s front office in the last year.
The team let receiver Jakobi Meyers walk to Las Vegas on a deal that was, on the surface, similar to the one that Smith-Schuster got. But the Patriots did have some protections in the deal. It’s weighted toward the 2024 season, but there is an out before the third year.
Smith-Schuster’s cap hit is only $4.7 million this season. That jumps to $10.6 million next year, a sort of insurance policy for Smith-Schuster, guaranteeing his place with the team in 2024. But he can be sent packing after that.
So, yes, the contract is not great if you’re Kansas City and delving into JuJu Smith-Schuster trade possibilities. But the knee is probably the bigger concern. If the Chiefs want him, safe to say, they can have him. Or any other team who wants to indulge in a JuJu Smith-Schuster Patriots trade rumor.