Last year, the New England Patriots opted to sign wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal instead of re-signing Jakobi Meyers, who went and signed a three-year contract of his own with the Las Vegas Raiders.
On Friday, the Patriots released Smith-Schuster despite having two years remaining on his deal and incurring a dead cap hit that'll be nearly $10 million in the 2024 season. After the move was reported, Smith-Schuster took to social media to share his reaction to his release.
— Mike Masala (@Mike_Masala) August 10, 2024
"Thank you Pats fan! Excited for the next chapter," Smith-Schuster wrote with a white heart emoji and a praying hands emoji.
Smith-Schuster struggled in his lone season with the Patriots, as he dealt with a knee injury throughout the year. He appeared in just 11 games and caught 29 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown. This release will give him a chance to catch on with another team before the start of the regular season so that he can get into another team's playbook early.
Prior to joining the Patriots, the wideout played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, catching 401 passes for 4,788 yards and 29 touchdowns over six seasons. He made one Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl.
MORE PATRIOTS NEWS
Patriots work out 4 players on Friday after first preseason game
Patriots release former Pro Bowl wideout
Winners and losers from Patriots’ preseason win
Why Patriots only gave QB Drake Maye one series vs. Panther
