JuJu Smith-Schuster's relatively low number of snaps in the New England Patriots' season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was peculiar, to say the least.
The wideout played in just 42 of the team offense's total 80 snaps, a number that seems low considering he's the highest-paid receiver on the team and was New England's priciest acquisition of the offseason, receiving a three-year, $25.5 million deal in free agency. However, it appears the Patriots' view of Smith-Schuster doesn't reflect the salary they gave him.
Smith-Schuster “is not presently among the team’s five most effective pass-catchers,” a pair of team sources reportedly told the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan. Those same sources indicate there are a couple reasons why Smith-Schuster has fallen down the depth chart, with his knee situation being prime among them.
Smith-Schuster dealt with knee injuries over the 2019 and 2020 seasons, requiring surgery. He suffered another knee injury during the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl run in 2022. Still, Smith-Schuster was available during the Patriots' practices over the summer and briefly played when the starters were on the field for a few drives during a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
Smith-Schuster's first game with New England was a forgettable one, though. He finished with just four receptions for 33 yards, and his first target was a third-down drop. The veteran failed to get open on a pivotal fourth-and-three late, too, leading to an incomplete pass from Mac Jones and turnover on downs.
JuJu Smith-Schuster doing his best Kadarius Toney impersonation with this drop pic.twitter.com/5nauPzoylh
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) September 10, 2023
Given Smith-Schuster's obvious struggles, it's easy to call the Patriots' offseason approach at receiver into question. They opted not to re-sign Jakobi Meyers, Jones' top target the last two seasons, letting him walk to the Las Vegas Raiders for three years and $33 million. Meyers had a standout performance in his Raiders debut, recording nine receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
New England also elected against signing DeAndre Hopkins when they had the chance, hosting him for a free-agent visit in June. They also waited until the sixth round to select a receiver in the draft, adding Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte with two of their final picks. Douglas recorded four receptions for 40 yards in his NFL debut last week, adding to his impressive showing in training camp. Boutte didn't have a reception and failed to get his feet inbounds on the play that ultimately ended the game for the Patriots.
Follow Us
Subscribe