Everyone in New England remembers where they were when the news broke. It was March 2023. The Patriots had just let Jakobi Meyers walk—a homegrown, reliable target—to sign JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33 million deal.
The logic? JuJu was younger. He had more "upside." He’d just won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs.
But honestly, the "JuJu Smith-Schuster Patriots" era turned out to be one of the most expensive mistakes of the late-Belichick era. It wasn't just a bad fit. It was a physical collapse that everyone saw coming except, apparently, the people in the front office.
The Knee That Everyone Talked About
Let’s be real for a second. The biggest reason JuJu Smith-Schuster struggled in New England wasn't a lack of effort. It was a lack of cartilage.
Reports from insiders like Albert Breer were sounding the alarm before the 2023 season even started. Breer famously called JuJu’s knee a "ticking time bomb." At the time, JuJu pushed back. He told reporters his knee was getting stronger every day. He even mentioned swelling after a long flight to Japan as if it were a minor inconvenience.
It wasn't minor.
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He looked slow. In 2023, he played in 11 games and managed just 260 yards. For a guy getting $16 million in guarantees, that’s roughly $61,000 per yard.
Why the Patriots Picked Him Over Meyers
This is the part that still drives fans crazy. Jakobi Meyers signed with the Raiders for almost the exact same money ($33 million over three years). Meyers went on to have 800+ yards and eight touchdowns in 2023.
The Patriots chose the "projection" of JuJu over the "certainty" of Meyers. They wanted a YAC (yards after catch) threat. Instead, they got a receiver who couldn't create separation against man coverage. According to Next Gen Stats, JuJu's average separation in 2023 was among the lowest in the league.
You can’t run a modern NFL offense if your primary receiver is constantly smothered.
The 2024 Release: Admitting Defeat
By August 2024, the writing wasn't just on the wall; it was etched in stone. New England had a new regime. Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo weren't married to Bill Belichick’s free-agent signings.
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The team decided to cut JuJu before the 2024 season even began.
The financial hit was brutal. The Patriots had to eat nearly $10 million in dead money to make him go away. Usually, teams don't cut players with that kind of cap penalty unless they are absolutely sure the player provides zero value.
Mayo was blunt about it. He wanted to give reps to the young guys—Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Basically, a rookie fourth-rounder was a better bet than a former Pro Bowler on a massive contract.
JuJu's Statistical Decline in Foxborough
- Receptions: 29 (Career low for a full-ish season)
- Yards: 260
- Touchdowns: 1
- Average Depth of Target: 5.2 yards (He was essentially a glorified tight end without the blocking)
It's sorta sad when you look at his 2018 highlights with the Steelers. That 1,400-yard season feels like it happened in a different lifetime.
What Really Happened in the Locker Room?
There were rumors, of course. Some suggested that JuJu's TikTok presence or "social media brand" didn't mesh with the "Patriot Way."
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That’s mostly nonsense.
The truth is the locker room liked JuJu. He worked hard. He tried to play through the pain. But NFL players are smart; they know when a teammate "doesn't have it" anymore. When you see a guy struggling to explode off the line in practice, it changes the way the quarterback looks at him. Mac Jones—and later Bailey Zappe—simply stopped looking his way because he was never open.
The Aftermath: Life After New England
After the Patriots cut him, JuJu ended up back where he was most recently successful: Kansas City.
The Chiefs took him back on a veteran minimum deal. Why? Because Patrick Mahomes can make anyone look productive, and Andy Reid knows how to hide a player's physical limitations.
For the Patriots, the JuJu experiment remains a cautionary tale. It’s a reminder that chasing "big names" in free agency often backfires if you ignore the medical reports. They spent $33 million to get 260 yards of production.
Key Takeaways for the Future
- Medical over Hype: If an insider calls a knee a "mess," listen. The Patriots' medical staff cleared him, but the tape didn't lie.
- Value Homegrown Talent: Letting Jakobi Meyers go for the same price was the structural error that doomed the 2023 offense.
- Youth Movements Matter: The 2024 Patriots correctly identified that a "dead end" veteran shouldn't block the development of rookies.
If you're looking to track how the Patriots rebuild their wide receiver room, focus on the "separation" metrics. The team has pivoted toward smaller, quicker players like DeMario Douglas who can actually move. The "JuJu Smith-Schuster Patriots" era is officially a closed chapter, but the financial scars will take another year to fully heal off the salary cap.
Watch the snap counts for the younger receivers this season. That’s where the real story of the post-JuJu era lives. Keeping an eye on the dead cap transitions in 2025 will show exactly when the team is finally free from the contract.