According to multiple reports, the New England Patriots are releasing former Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
That means the 27-year-old can now sign with another team, but that comes with a guaranteed salary of $7 million.
He signed a 3-year, $25.5 million deal before the 2023 season.
Smith-Schuster had a $10.82 cap hit this year. Releasing him means a $9.6 million cap hit for the Pats this season and $2.6 million next year.
His best season in the NFL was his second year in Pittsburgh. As the #2 WR behind Antonio Brown, Smith-Schuster has 1,426 yards with 111 catches and seven touchdowns.
He was productive in Kansas City in 2022, winning a Super Bowl there.
Last year was a disappointing season for Smith-Schuster. He had 29 catches for 260 yards and one touchdown over 11 games (seven started).
With Smith-Schuster being released, there is natural speculation that he could come back to the Steelers, but the stats show he is far from the player he was when he was in black and gold.