KC Chiefs should get ahead on JuJu Smith-Schuster extension

The free agent signing of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was a move that seemed like a lock as soon as free agency opened this past spring. Many of us were anticipating the move for the better part of a year when Smith-Schuster only signed a one-year deal to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers over a better offer from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Smith-Schuster admitted in a later interview that the Chiefs were his second choice, so when his last year in Pittsburgh didn’t go well followed by the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, it definitely seemed like there was already some back-door channeling going on that implied Smith-Schuster would end up in Kansas City.

Only a few days into free agency, that’s exactly what happened. The deal was a match made in heaven as the Chiefs desperately needed to upgrade their secondary pass-catchers and Smith-Schuster needed a fresh start.

Getting ahead on a contract extension for JuJu Smith-Schuster would be wise for the Kansas City Chiefs.

So far through training camp, the connection between Patrick Mahomes and Smith-Schuster is heating up as the two have put together some impressive completions. People around the league have also taken notice of the progress already being made.

Whether the two talked frequently before Smith-Schuster came to Kansas City or the chemistry has built up quicker than anyone would have guessed, it’s clear that the QB and WR trust each other. Though we haven’t seen them in a real game yet, we do know that with Tyreek Hill gone, Mahomes is surely gauging the receivers in camp to see who he can trust the most.

Currently, Smith-Schuster is only on the books for one year and can only make up to $10 million in the deal he signed with the Chiefs. With what we have seen so far from Smith-Schuster in camp, it’s an intriguing discussion to have of whether or not the Chiefs should consider extending him early to keep him around long-term.

Some may be surprised at the possibility, especially since he’s coming off an injury and a disappointing season last year. However, we’ve seen what he can do before as he caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and 7 touchdowns as a sophomore in the league and he’s still only 25 years old.

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.

Secondly, the Chiefs signed Smith-Schuster before trading Tyreek Hill so the plan probably once was to have both of them once Hill was extended. Now that Hill is in Miami, Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are the only notable receivers signed through 2022 for Kansas City. That said, it would be wise to look up Smith-Schuster so you still have another quality receiver in the fold going forward.

There are also some risks to signing Smith-Schuster long-term now, though. 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.

There’s also the scenario that Smith-Schuster’s camp simply doesn’t want to sign an extension now. They may want to see how things play out so their client can earn the highest amount possible on the open market or from the Chiefs.

Nonetheless, extending a player right after they already signed a free agent contract is rare but it isn’t impossible and it actually does make a lot of sense in the case of Smith-Schuster. He’s already made his impact felt through training camp and Smith-Schuster in Kansas City just feels right. He appears to appreciate what the organization has built and the prospect of playing with Patrick Mahomes.

It also can’t be emphasized enough what an extension would mean on the financial side of things. Smith-Schuster is clearly very talented and the kind of guy you want in the locker room. He’s also young enough to justify a decent contract at this point and he’d be a great value if he can get back to what we saw his first few seasons with the Steelers.