Surprise Brett Veach Signing Instantly Paying Dividends for Chiefs

Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster is off to an excellent start in his reunion with Kansas City, looking like a more significant part of the offense than we initially thought he'd be. It seemed like Brett Veach was just bringing back a familiar face to fill out the receiver room, though Smith-Schuster's impact has been widespread through three weeks.

Despite early concerns about his health, the eighth-year wideout has looked good physically. Notably, Smith-Schuster has been on the field quite a bit.

He played 55% of the snaps in Week 3 against the Falcons, the second-most of any Chiefs' receiver. As he gets back into the groove of the offense, it's possible we could see that snap count rise even more. Either way, his signing looks like a shrewd move from Brett Veach.

Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster Proving to Be a Great Signing

He has only two catches for 17 yards and the above TD, though Smith-Schuster's impact has been especially strong as a blocker. Long considered one of the best blocking receivers in the NFL, he's helped spring ballcarriers loose in the screen game and brought impressive physicality to the position.

Smith-Schuster has clearly overtaken Skyy Moore, who has just 30 snaps total through three weeks, and last week he was ahead of Justin Watson and Xavier Worthy as well. It's likely that snap counts will fluctuate a bit, though it's clear that Smith-Schuster has a big role in the offense.

Overall, the Chiefs have struggled offensively relative to their standards. They're 15th in yards per play (5.4) and Patrick Mahomes is off to a slow start with five TDs to four interceptions. That's not on Smith-Schuster, though hopefully he can use Week 3 to propel himself to greater production as well.

To go from a player on the street to a valuable member of the two-time defending Super Bowl champions is nothing to scoff at. Smith-Schuster is officially back and the Chiefs are a better team because of it.

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