FOXBORO — JuJu Smith-Schuster endured a nightmare first season in New England. Whether he’ll stick around for a second remains to be seen.
The veteran wide receiver is squarely on the bubble one week into Patriots training camp, fighting with the likes of Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Jalen Reagor and Kawaan Baker for what could be just one or two spots on the 53-man roster.
Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn and draft picks Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker all are safe bets to make the team, though Bourne’s status remains uncertain as he works his way back from a torn ACL. Undrafted rookies David Wallis and JaQuae Johnson round out that competitive roster battle.
Smith-Schuster has the strongest NFL resume of any of those players, with an All-Star selection and multiple 900-year seasons to his credit. But last season, after the Patriots chose to sign him over keeping Jakobi Meyers, he caught just 29 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown, missed six games and looked like a shell of his former self physically, lacking the explosiveness and run-after-catch ability that make him an asset in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.
Six days into training camp, that hasn’t returned.
Even though the Patriots would need to eat more than $10 million in dead money if they cut Smith-Schuster, doing so seems like a realistic possibility. Speaking after Tuesday’s practice, Smith-Schuster said the competition at his position is “very, very high.”
“I feel like for myself, I feel like everyone out here in that room is fighting for a spot,” he said. “Obviously, there’s guys who have spots, but I feel like for myself it’s something that, coming out here, I’ve got to prove to compete with these guys. These guys are very good, very talented, on the inside and outside.”
Smith-Schuster had a few standout moments Tuesday, catching a touchdown pass from Drake Maye in 7-on-7 drills and another from Joe Milton III in 11-on-11s. On the latter, he ran a crisp slant route and caught a fastball from Milton on what appeared to be a run-pass option.
It wasn’t all positive for the former Steelers star, however. Smith-Schuster also had a pass from Jacoby Brissett in 11-on-11s bounce off his hands for a drop. Later, he was seen walking gingerly off the field after one rep — not ideal for a player with his injury history. He said he stepped on a rock.
“It didn’t really feel too good right there, but I’m taking care of that,” he said.
Few players will have more to lose this preseason than Smith-Schuster, who, despite being just 27 years old, must prove he can still be a viable NFL pass-catcher. He’ll need to show more than he has thus far in camp to keep his spot.
“It’s always been in me, that dog, that competitiveness,” he said. “… I’ve for sure got that dog in me.”
