Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Patriots are releasing veteran WR JuJu Smith-Schuster on Friday.
The Patriots added a number of young receivers this offseason and are clearly looking to go in a different direction at the position, so releasing Smith-Schuster now gives him a early start on finding his next team.
According to OverTheCap.com, releasing Smith-Schuster will result in $9,633,333 of dead money and just $647,059 of cap space.
Smith-Schuster, 27, was a second-round pick by the Steelers out of USC in the 2017 NFL Draft. He finished his four-year, $4.19 million rookie contract before re-joining the Steelers on a one-year, $8 million deal in 2021 and signed on with the Chiefs to a one-year deal last year.
The Patriots agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract with Smith-Schuster in 2023.
In 2023, Smith-Schuster appeared in 11 games for the Patriots and caught 29 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown.
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