03 June 2023 , 16:19
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New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has given his verdict on his new teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The Patriots signed Smith-Schuster on a three-year deal worth $33m in the early weeks of the off-season. He joined the roster after spending one year with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he helped them win the Super Bowl in February.
Having originally signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs, it’s been reported that the AFC West franchise wanted to re-sign the wide receiver. However, it’s thought that the Patriots’ offered more money to Smith-Schuster.
The 26-year-old has joined the Patriots to help reinvigorate their offence after a disappointing end to last season. The 2022 season was only the second time since 2008 that the Patriots have failed to reach the NFL playoffs.
One of the consequences of that ending to the season was wide receiver Jakobi Meyers being released as a free agent. He would go on to sign for the Las Vegas Raiders as an unrestricted free agent back in March, with the exact same deal as they offered Smith-Schuster.
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Patriots coach Bill Belichick had been furious with Meyers in their loss to the Raiders in December, which ultimately cost them a playoff spot. With the score tied at 24-24 in the fourth quarter, Meyers had the ball in his hands and was about to be tackled before deciding to throw the ball back to QB Jones which was intercepted by Chandler Jones who would score a game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds of the game.
Belichick was visibly furious with the play after the camera panned on him. And just a couple of months later, Meyer would leave as a free agent with the Patriots opting to bring in a new receiver for the same amount of money.
JuJu Smith-Schuster was signed by the New England Patriots from the Kansas City Chiefs (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)With Jones now having Smith-Schuster as a new teammate on his offence, the quarterback has spoken about what he’s noticed in the early organized team activities (OTAs). The Patriots QB says the personality of Smith-Schuster meant the two "hit it off" early on.
"I think JuJu’s done a great job, also from a leadership standpoint," Jones told reporters Wednesday, . "Coming in, that’s someone who adds veteran leadership from different places.
“He just came off of a Super Bowl team, so what a great value to our offense. Obviously, when he gets on the field, that’s going to be great because he has the experience and he loves talking about football."
"He’s just a football nerd, I guess, kind of like me. We kind of hit it off in that regard. He’s an awesome guy, and I’m looking forward to working with all those guys in that room. I think there’s a lot of potential there."