Will the Chiefs have the top passing offense in 2022?
By: Jeremy Trottier
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster signed with the Kansas City Chiefs this past week. The Chiefs signed Juju to a 1-year deal worth $10.75 million, $3.25 million is guaranteed and $7.5 million being incentives. With this, an already high-tier Chiefs offense continues to get better, and only improves from last season. Getting an outside receiver who can run the shorter to intermediate routes is a great addition to complement burner Tyreek Hill.
Now the real question is, how much does Juju improve the Chiefs offense, and what is its ceiling with him on the team? The Chiefs offense was already one of the best in the NFL, ranking third in yards total and yards per game in 2021-2022. They also ranked 4th in points scored, behind Buffalo (3rd), Tampa Bay (2nd), and Dallas (1st). The Chiefs overall have lost nearly no players on offense other than a few such as Byron Pringle. However, they have retained their core in:
- QB ”“ Patrick Mahomes
- WR ”“ Tyreek Hill
- TE ”“ Travis Kelce
- OT ”“ Orlando Brown Jr
- RB ”“ Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- C ”“ Creed Humphrey
With this, they should only hypothetically get better in 2022 on offense with Juju. While Smith-Schuster did miss 12 games last season due to shoulder surgery, prior to that he showed promise. Even with Ben Roethlisberger progressively becoming less effective at QB, and Dionte Johnson/Chase Claypool taking snaps, Juju was still productive. Over the course of his first five seasons, Juju accrued the following:
- 63 games played (51 started)
- 323 receptions on 347 targets (68.6% catch rate)
- 3,855 receiving yards (11.9 per reception), 26 touchdowns, 181 first downs
So, what does this leave us with for Kansas City? They should easily be in the top 3 offensive units in the NFL without a doubt, as they have been. With the Dallas Cowboys losing Amari Cooper and La’el Collins in the same offseason, the Chiefs could even see a top 2 offense or the top. There have been teams making moves to improve their offenses however this offseason, could pose a threat to that top spot. Regardless, Juju is a great addition to the Chiefs and should have their fans excited for 2022-2023.
