3 Teams Desperate Enough to Sign JuJu Smith-Schuster Following Patriots Release

The New England Patriots finally parted ways with veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Only a year after signing a three-year, $33 million deal in Foxborough, the 27-year-old finds himself looking for a new team with less than a month left before the regular season starts.

Fortunately for Smith-Schuster, there are still teams looking for more wide receiver depth. Despite his underwhelming performance with the Patriots, the former Pro Bowler had a 78-catch, 933-yard season with the Chiefs only a year prior. One could easily see a team taking a flyer on him with the hopes of him getting back to his old self in a more functional offense. Whether that would be smart is another question, but let's look at three teams desperate enough to sign Smith-Schuster.

Carolina Panthers

After looking like a complete mess throughout the 2023 season, the Panthers made significant strides this offseason, bolstering their offensive line and wide receiver corps to give Bryce Young a better opportunity to show what he can do. Under first-time head coach Dave Canales, the Panthers are trying to improve upon their 2-15 record from a season ago.

Even though they have a better roster than last year, they could still use more offensive weapons to do so. The Panthers currently have Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, and rookie Xavier Legette as their starters while Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. are slated to provide depth. That is obviously not an elite group and could benefit from more veteran presence.

Smith-Schuster may not have the explosiveness and playmaking ability he once did, but he still has valuable experience that he can bring to this young unit.