JuJu Smith-Schuster expected to be ready for start of Patriots training camp

Smith-Schuster missed most of the spring with a knee injury.

The New England Patriots may have received bad news on the DeAndre Hopkins front this week, but did get some good news regarding their wide receiver room.

After taking the cautious route and spending the majority of the spring on the sideline with a knee injury that dated back to last season, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster told the Boston Globe that he expects to be ready for the start of training camp.

Smith-Schuster, who signed a three-year deal with New England in free agency, will travel back to Massachusetts on Monday and will report for camp with the rest of New England’s veterans on Tuesday, July 25 — a day before the team’s first official practice.

Without Smith-Schuster during the spring, New England’s offense featured a heavy dose of 12 personnel with Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry sharing the field. With Smith-Schuster back in the mix, New England’s offensive personnel groupings under Bill O’Brien will be a major storyline to monitor throughout the summer.

When Smith-Schuster is on the field, he should be expected to be plugged into a high-volume role in the slot. The receiver posted his best statical season since 2020 in Kansas City last year with 78 receptions for 933 yards. He should have plenty of opportunities to surpass those totals this season as he figures to be a key part of O’Brien’s offense.

“He’s a guy that, when you watch him play and you watch his tape from the places that he’s been, he’s a very versatile guy,” O’Brien said back in May. “He’s definitely a guy that has been a good addition so far, just in the meeting room with his experience and the things that he’s done, especially most recently in Kansas City. So, it’s been good to work with him.”

Despite missing most of the on field work during the spring, Smith-Schuster has been a consistent presence at Gillette Stadium. That has included spending plenty of time working with and getting to know his new quarterback Mac Jones.

“JuJu, he really does have a good understanding of football,” Jones said after a spring practice. “I feel like he’s really bought into the offense. He’s always studying, things like that, just like everybody else. Done a really good job. Obviously, we’ve gotten some reps together. And a lot of that is, you know, he’s working through some things.

“We’re always talking about the offense, certain plays, things that he likes. And I think that’s good. Just the conversations, that always helps just to see how he sees it. He’s played a lot of football in this league. Just picking his brain, too, both ways. So, it’s been good.”