NFL Rumors: JuJu Smith-Schuster Not Seen by Patriots as Top-5 Pass-Catcher on Roster

JuJu Smith-Schuster was the New England Patriots' big free-agent signing during the offseason, but he's apparently still trying to gain the confidence of coaches.

Per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, Smith-Schuster is on "increasingly shaky standing on the depth chart" with multiple team sources saying they believe he's "not presently among the team's five most effective pass-catchers."

Callahan also noted the seventh-year wideout's place on the offense is "complicated by a variety of factors."

The Patriots signed Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33 million deal in March. He was brought in as both a replacement for Jakobi Meyers, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, and to add a little more punch to a passing attack that struggled throughout the 2022 season.

Smith-Schuster wasn't a big factor during the preseason with just one catch for one yard in three games.

This was a trend that continued in Sunday's regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith-Schuster only had four receptions for 33 yards. His seven targets were tied for second-most on the team, but he was sixth in yards.

Among New England's primary pass-catchers in Week 1, Smith-Schuster ranked fourth in total snaps. He was on the field for 54 percent of the offensive snaps (43 total), behind Kendrick Bourne (73 snaps), Kayshon Boutte (55 snaps) and Hunter Henry (63 snaps).

Another sign that the Patriots have questions about Smith-Schuster is he wasn't on the field for the team's final drive when they had a chance to take the lead over the Eagles. Head coach Bill Belichick went with Bourne and rookies Boutte and Demario Douglas as his three wide receivers.

There's no indication of any potential injury for Smith-Schuster. He's not listed on the official injury report going into Week 2.

Smith-Schuster has had an up-and-down NFL career to this point. His two most productive seasons were his first two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers when he had 2,343 yards and 14 touchdowns in 30 games between 2017 and 2018.

The 26-year-old has averaged just 10.5 yards per reception in 49 games since the start of the 2019 season. He ranked second on the Kansas City Chiefs last year with 933 yards.

It will be worth keeping an eye on how often Smith-Schuster is on the field for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins.