‘Reclamation project’ JuJu Smith-Schuster isn’t paying dividends with new team

As they say, you get what you pay for. And the New England Patriots are getting just that with former Pittsburgh Steelers star JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Rarely does a player go from Pittsburgh to another team and find success. Smith-Schuster, however, did — albeit briefly. It helped that the team was the Kansas City Chiefs, and his quarterback was Patrick Mahomes. But he got a ring, something he never came close to in the Black & Gold.

Another thing he got was a knee injury, which nearly kept him from suiting up for the Super Bowl. But, like any athlete, he would have to be pried from the field not to play.

Smith-Schuster, who turns 27 next month, is in his seventh season and might not be in the league much longer. The knee remains a serious concern, and he was knocked out of the Week 5 Saints matchup with a concussion.

But the Patriots got him at a discount because of the injury concerns. “The knee gave you the chance to sign a guy at a premium position at a less-than-premium rate,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer told NBC Sports Boston.

“There was a lot of concern that the knee was going get worse, not better, from other teams, which is why other teams stayed away from him — and which is why he was available at this price point.”

Top receivers around the league are making bank. Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill makes $30 million a year, A.J. Brown in Philly $25 million. Smith-Schuster is the 32nd highest-paid receiver at $8.5 million.

“At his price point, you either get a guy who’s probably a borderline No. 2 or No. 3, or you get a reclamation project like this because of his cost. You pay him with the hope that he’s going to turn into what he used to be.”

But that hasn’t happened for Smith-Schuster. The “reclamation project” hasn’t paid dividends to date: He has just 14 receptions for 86 yards on 25 targets through five games and, at best, looks like a No. 3 wideout in New England.

While he insists he has no issues with his knee, Smith-Schuster isn’t the same guy who played second fiddle to Travis Kelce in Kansas City in 2022.