5 Patriots Playing for Their Job in Preseason Week 1

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR

Few Patriots are facing more pressure than JuJu Smith-Schuster this offseason. The former USC playmaker's first year with the franchise was forgettable at best and a complete disaster at worst as he finished his seventh NFL campaign with only 260 receiving yards and a touchdown on 29 catches.

Those aren't the kind of numbers you want to see from a player who carries a $10.2 million cap hit in 2024.

Any hopeful Smith-Schuster supporters have been left disappointed by his offseason performance so far, though. He's been missing wide-open catches and has even struggled in 1-on-1 drills against the team's cornerbacks, leaving many to wonder if his best days are firmly behind him.

It's crazy to think that Smith-Schuster is at the point where he still has to prove himself in the preseason, but here we are. He doesn't look like the player who recorded 1,400 yards in 2018, nor does he even look like the version of himself that helped the Kansas City Chiefs win a Super Bowl less than two years ago.

Now that he's had a full offseason to get healthy, there's no excuse for Smith-Schuster not to beat up the Panthers, who had a bottom-five defense last season. If he can't take advantage of this juicy matchup, all hope might be gone regarding his outlook with the Patriots.