Injuries to other Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers have made JuJu Smith-Schuster a vital asset for Patrick Mahomes. But Smith-Schuster went down with an injury of his own in the Chiefs’ Week 7 Super Bowl rematch against the San Francisco 49ers.
What happened to Smith-Schuster on Sunday, and what’s his latest injury status?
What Happened to Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster in Week 7?
Smith-Schuster entered Week 7 with an existing hamstring injury. While he fully practiced on Wednesday, Smith-Schuster was limited on Thursday after injuring himself at practice. He ended the week with another limited session on Friday and was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.
Smith-Schuster appeared to re-aggravate his hamstring issue against the 49ers. FOX’s broadcast showed him pulling up after running an in-breaking route in the first half. He limped to Kansas City’s sideline to receive medical attention.
While Smith-Schuster was initially listed as questionable, he was officially ruled out in the fourth quarter.
On Monday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that Smith-Schuster will not play against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8.
Kansas City can’t afford any more injuries to its skill-position players.
Rashee Rice was leading the NFL in receptions and yards per route run when he went down with a serious knee injury in Week 4. Offseason addition Hollywood Brown suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during the preseason and will not play a snap in 2024.
Running back Isiah Pacheco fractured his tibia in Week 2 and is also on injured reserve. While the Chiefs hope he’ll return later this season, Pacheco isn’t a lock to play again this year.
Smith-Schuster, 27, hauled in 79 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns for the Chiefs in 2022, winning a Super Bowl ring in the process. He inked a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the New England Patriots but made just 29 catches before being cut in August.
The Chiefs picked up Smith-Schuster two weeks later. He wasn’t heavily involved in KC’s offense until Rice went down, but JJSS was effective in Week 5, bringing in seven catches for 130 yards against the Los Angeles Chargers before the Chiefs went on a Week 6 bye.
Fantasy Implications of Smith-Schuster’s Injury
While hamstring injuries can often linger, the fact that Smith-Schuster was declared questionable to return — instead of being immediately ruled out — bodes well for his status moving forward.
However, if Smith-Schuster misses time, the Chiefs would almost be forced to determine a way to get first-round rookie receiver Xavier Worthy more involved. Worthy received a career-high six targets against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5, but that could be a baseline if he’s the last man standing for Mahomes.
Kansas City only has three other wide receivers — Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, and Skyy Moore — on its active roster. Fantasy managers would have to be beyond desperate to consider any of those three in their lineups.
Depending on the nature of Smith-Schuster’s hamstring injury, the Chiefs could be even more convinced to explore a trade for a wide receiver. The AFC-rival Buffalo Bills acquired Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns last week, while the New York Jets reunited Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers.
Kansas City could consider a move for a veteran wideout like the Carolina Panthers’ Diontae Johnson or the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Christian Kirk, regardless of Smith-Schuster’s outlook. If JJSS is poised to miss time, a trade could become even more imperative.