JuJu Smith-Schuster Explains Patriots Contract: 'To Be Honest, It Was Belichick'

Juju Smith-Schuster had one reason above all else he chose to sign with the New England Patriots: head coach Bill Belichick.

"To be honest, it was Belichick, man," Smith-Schuster told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak and Bertrand on Tuesday. "Just the want and the need. And, you know, the position that I can fill there really, really, really caught my attention. And I felt that like that was the [biggest] thing, feeling wanted in a place where I've played against a head coach I have a lot of respect for. And I just think that that goes a long way."

Smith-Schuster signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the Patriots earlier this month after spending the 2022 season with the Kansas City Chiefs. The 2018 Pro Bowler signed a one-year, prove-it contract with Kansas City after his play regressed in Pittsburgh following Antonio Brown's departure.

Belichick will be Smith-Schuster's third future Hall of Fame coach, joining Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid.

"The tradition was always there," Smith-Schuster said. "I've always had respect for the Patriots."

New England will also provide Smith-Schuster with plenty of opportunity to shine, as he seems likely to walk into the 2023 season atop the team's wide receiver depth chart. The Patriots have not had a Pro Bowl wide receiver since Wes Welker in 2012 and haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019.