On Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs held their final practice of the spring. While very little can be extracted from practices in late May and early June, there are still a few things that can be learned. This year, for the Chiefs it was how competitive of a battle their wide receiver room would be in training camp.
Over the last three weeks, rookie receiver Jalen Royals and fourth-year receiver Tyquan Thornton have impressed. Beyond those two, players like Skyy Moore, Nikko Remigio and JuJu Smith-Schuster are also battling for a roster spot. That said, following OTAs and minicamp, Smith-Schuster could be on the outside looking in for a roster spot in 2025.
JuJu Smith-Schuster May Be at Risk of Getting Cut by Kansas City
This offseason, the Chiefs re-signed Smith-Schuster to a one-year contract worth $1.4 million. The 28-year-old is a reliable target who understands the Chiefs' offensive system, so bringing him back as a depth piece was a no-brainer. However, retaining Smith-Schuster also came with some injury risk.
Last year, he missed time due to a hamstring and thigh injury. Prior to that, Smith-Schuster suffered two concussions and a serious shoulder injury. Given his injury history and age, staying healthy could be an issue going forward.
Even so, Smith-Schuster has been a productive player when targeted in two seasons with the Chiefs. He has caught 75% (96/127) of his passes for 1,164 yards and five touchdowns.
Furthermore, his run blocking is an important element to his game. During his time in Kansas City,
Smith-Schuster has typically averaged between a 55.0 and a 60.0 grade in run blocking, according to PFF.
Nevertheless, with what they expect from the Royals and the emergence of Thornton Smith-Schuster's road to keeping a roster spot has become more difficult. This is especially true since
Smith-Schuster doesn't contribute on special teams.
Monitoring this situation throughout training camp will be fascinating.