Juju Smith-Schuster to sign with AFC West powerhouse
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster has agreed to a deal with another AFC powerhouse in the Kansas City Chiefs. NFL Network Taylor biscotti announced the news Friday afternoon of the Chiefs acquisition of Smith-Schuster.
Smith-Schuster had the opportunity to sign with several other franchises, namely the Chiefs, last offseason, but he decided to stay with Pittsburgh on a one-year deal instead. Ultimately, things didn’t quite go as planned; he played in five regular-season games before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury, which required surgery, on Oct. 10 against the Denver Broncos. He was presumed to be out for the season, but he made a surprisingly early return to play on Jan. 16 for the Playoffs, recording five catches for 26 yards in the Steelers’ first-round Playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
It appears that Smith Schuster himself could not wait until the paperwork made the move official, as he took to social media to express his excitement in joining his new team.
No details of the deal’s length or salary compensation are currently known, at this point. But On3 will update the information and specifics as we follow this story.
Chiefs adding Reid on huge deal
The Kansas City Chiefs have found their next safety to lead their secondary next season and former Houston Texans Justin Reed. It’s no secret that the Chiefs were in the market for a new starting safety after letting defensive leader All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu walk in free agency.
The news broke on Monday, of the two sides coming to terms courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter. His report revealed the length of the contract and its worth, which included a sizable portion of the contract guaranteed.
“Former Texans’ S Justin Reid intends to sign a three-year, $31.5 million deal that includes $20 million guaranteed with the Kansas City Chiefs, per source,” wrote Schefter via Twitter.
Reid is a third-round selection made by the Houston Texans back in the 2018 draft out of Stanford. He is an all-around defensive back whose primary position is at free safety. However, this year the Texans experimented with Reid, moving him all around the secondary showing off his defensive playmaking skills. The 24-year-old leaves Houston with a total of 302 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumbles recovered, seven interceptions, and one returned for a touchdown.
With Reid’s ability to line up virtually anywhere in the secondary, he makes an ideal replacement for the veteran Mathieu in Kansas City’s defense.