Chiefs expect to get major boost to passing game for Week 11 against Bills

The Kansas City Chiefs have been waiting for this moment, the point during the regular season when at least someone among the numerous injured players would be able to return to the field. While there are multiple reinforcements on the way for the Chiefs, the team is happy to welcome back JuJu Smith-Schuster as soon as this Sunday.

While it's possible that something goes awry between now and Sunday afternoon, the Chiefs are expecting Smith-Schuster to return to the offense, per Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, for the first time in multiple weeks after having sat out three games with a hamstring injury.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid followed up Schultz's report with further comments after practice for the team on Sunday as they prepare to visit the Bills on Sunday afternoon. "There's a good chance he's back. We'll see as we go through practice but if it's up to him, he's back." 

The Chiefs lost Smith-Schuster back in Week 7, shortly after the team's bye week, in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. The veteran receiver started the game just fine but was quickly removed after a hamstring injury flared up and he's been inactive for every game ever since.

The Chiefs have suffered through a number of injuries, but reinforcements are on the way, even as soon as this Sunday.

Smith-Schuster signed with the Chiefs shortly before the regular season began and largely sat out of the offensive plan as he worked to acclimate himself to a new team after starting the year with the New England Patriots. The Pats released Smith-Schuster in early August in a decision to go with a youth movement at the position following an injury-laden first season in Foxboro for Smith-Schuster a year ago.

It helped Smith-Schuster to come back to a familiar team after having spent the 2022 season in K.C. as their top wide receiver with 78 catches for 933 yards (second on the team behind tight end Travis Kelce). However, the Chiefs never got Smith-Schuster going in the offense until Rashee Rice went down in Week 4 for the season.

In Week 5, Smith-Schuster shocked everyone with a brilliant performance in a win over the New Orleans Saints with 7 catches on 8 targets for 130 yards. To lose him after the bye, then, created major concerns at the position that'd already lost Rice and Marquise Brown to start the season.

Smith-Schuster now returns to a unit that's added DeAndre Hopkins to the mix to go with Justin Watson and Xavier Worthy. Given the lack of chemistry with other wideouts, Smith-Schuster's return gives the Chiefs another trusted target and should open things up a bit more for Hopkins and Kelce along with the rest of the offense.