If the NFL offseason was a poker table, the Kansas City Chiefs have already gone all-in at wide receiver. No further evidence was needed to illustrate the organization's internal confidence at the position than to watch them essentially unveil the same WR room as a year ago, following a spring that featured wholesale changes at most other positions.
But just in case any fans wanted to see if the Chiefs still felt the same way at the start of June, they got their answer after watching JuJu Smith-Schuster sign a contract with the New York Giants on Monday.
Smith-Schuster isn't going to move the needle for the Giants offense in 2026, and no one would have expected the same if he'd returned to the Chiefs. But it's notable that Smith-Schuster is now off the market because he made sense as a security blanket for Kansas City as an experienced vet who knew the system, was trusted by coaches, and could provide a reliable performer in the offense.
JuJu Smith-Schuster's departure leaves the Chiefs even more committed to a young and uncertain receiver group.
Let's not forget that Smith-Schuster caught 33 of 45 targets a year ago, which ranked fifth on the team. That's not nothing. Smith-Schuster is also a very good blocker, was healthy for all 17 games a year ago, and was the most seasoned contributor in the receiver room in 2025. If the Chiefs were going to "run it back" with the same group, it made sense to keep Smith-Schuster around as well as a sort of protective layer over it all.
That's no longer an option, which would sound just fine if the Chiefs had made any significant upgrades to a troubling position. Alas, that's not the case. Rashee Rice is still flirting with further suspensions and knee issues. Xavier Worthy is wearing the yellow (injury) jersey in OTAs. Jalen Royals is hoping the Chiefs take the training wheels off, while Tyquan Thornton is begging for more responsibility. Both of the latter cases are optimistic takes, however.
In an unforgiving league, the Chiefs are begging the NFL gods for a merciful season for their wide receivers. That's a real roll of the dice for the front office, which at least deserves a nod for correcting several other positions on the roster in a single spring. Brett Veach and company cannot fix everything in one offseason, but their decision to ignore the WR depth chart is interesting.
Now, even the in-case-of-emergency option is gone, thanks to the Giants, after it was clear the Chiefs had no interest in another of Smith-Schuster.
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