Wide receiver is usually a position full of divas or stars who enjoy the spotlight. It is rare for an NFL wideout to be one of the glue guys, an overlooked person within the team’s operation. But at this stage in his career, JuJu Smith-Schuster has grown into the perfect team player for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs have had many different names come through their doors at the wide receiver position over the last handful of years. Even Smith-Schuster himself is on his second stint with Kansas City. The first run included an impressive showing to help the Chiefs win Super Bowl LVII over the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, in his second turn with K.C., JuJu is seemingly impacting many parts and players on the team.
This was felt even more heavily at the end of last Sunday’s win over the Detroit Lions. Lions safety Brian Branch slapped Smith-Schuster in the face. A scuffle ensued. Patrick Mahomes seemed enraged at Detroit after the brouhaha. Other members of the team were ready to move on from that moment right after the game. But as the Chiefs posted on X after the game, Smith-Schuster was the one hyping up the team once he returned to the locker room. The scuffle between him, Branch, and his teammates totally unfazed him.
Smith-Schuster understood what the moment was all about. Kansas City had just earned a critical win over one of the best teams in the NFL. The Chiefs frustrated the Lions and one of their top defenders. Smith-Schuster was able to uplift his teammates in the locker room even more after that massive victory.
Surely, Chiefs fans had an appreciation for Smith-Schuster during his first run with the team. But after his return, His abilities have turned him into a bit of an overlooked hero for Kansas City. He blocks as well as any wide receiver on the team. He is willing to spring run plays open. Not all wide receivers across the league possess that same desire while blocking on the perimeter.
Smith-Schuster is also a fearless pass catcher. Fans may remember the big shot he took against the Jacksonville Jaguars a few years back. His teammates had his back in that instance. Despite that huge blow, Smith-Schuster has been reliable when running routes over the middle of the field. You cannot say that about many wide receivers in recent Chiefs memory.
JuJu Smith-Schuster has become the glue guy and veteran voice the Chiefs need most.
And even when he is asked to make those catches over the middle and in traffic, it is more than just a grab followed by an immediate tackle. Smith-Schuster has been able to add plenty of yards after the catch in those moments. He sprang free after Mahomes fit one in tightly around a defender early on against Detroit.
The blocking and the tough catches will fire a team up. Yet the selflessness in the locker room is just what Kansas City coaches are counting on from a veteran like him. The Chiefs getting a vital win over the Lions was fresh in everyone’s minds. But at the same time, attention in the wide receiver room turns to the upcoming addition of Rashee Rice after his six-game suspension.
Smith-Schuster is just as excited as Kansas City fans are to sit back and watch what Rice does after coming back. He is not looking at his snap counts. Smith-Schuster is not worried about seeing less of a target share once Rice is in the fold. If anything, JuJu knows that Kansas City is getting its top wide receiver back, and it will continue to create more opportunities for others on offense.
Most teams that continually win and remain at the top of the league need glue guys who can keep the team grounded. Due to many factors mentioned above, JuJu Smith-Schuster can certainly deliver for Kansas City on the field. But as a presence off the field, he has grown into the perfect mouthpiece the Chiefs can lean on.