KC Chiefs sweeten JuJu Smith-Schuster’s contract
By Matt Conner
The Kansas City Chiefs are doing right by a player who could be a key offensive figure by sweetening JuJu Smith-Schuster’s contract.
The typical story when it comes to a team trying to rework a player’s contract in the National Football League is one slanted toward the franchise, a situation wherein the team is trying to keep from having to pay as much to a particular player. In the case of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Kansas City Chiefs are instead officially sweetening his contract—or at the very least giving him a much better chance to make more money.
The Chiefs landed Smith-Schuster this offseason after attempting to sign him last year in free agency as well. Smith-Schuster decided to ultimately re-sign for another season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the very team that drafted him, in hopes of helping them achieve more than they had in his previous four seasons there. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after just five weeks.
Coming into this spring, Smith-Schuster’s shortened season (say that five times fast) allowed the Chiefs to sign him to a very team-friendly deal with incentives worth up to nearly $4 million but with only $2.5 million in guaranteed money.
As the Chiefs have witnessed what Smith-Schuster can bring to the offense, and the clear chemistry he already has with Patrick Mahomes through the spring and summer, the team apparently decided to amend his contract to even better terms. NFL reporter Field Yates has the details:
The Chiefs agreed to an amended contract for WR JuJu Smith-Schuster that increases his per-game roster bonus from $30K to $60K, per source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 26, 2022
Smith-Schuster can now earn an extra $510K via per-game bonuses this year.
Nice touch by the Chiefs to give him a chance for more upside.
If that extra half-million can become the very good will that keeps Smith-Schuster wanting to re-sign with the Chiefs next spring, it will end up looking like a smart move by the team’s front office. Remember, the Chiefs are set to lose Mecole Hardman and Smith-Schuster next spring and even Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s deal is really a series of team options. Only Skyy Moore is guaranteed to be around among the team’s top wideouts.
Even if JuJu Smith-Schuster doesn’t return next year, the Chiefs have still done right by their wide receiver by giving him greater incentives given the heavy role he’s likely to play.