Back to the New England Patriots Newsfeed

Jerod Mayo explains why Patriots decided to cut JuJu Smith-Schuster

JuJu Smith-Schuster’s tenure with the Patriots only lasted one season.

Despite New England handing him a three-year deal worth up to $33 million last March, the 27-year-old quickly became an afterthought in a far-from-imposing Patriots offense. Lingering injuries sapped most of the explosiveness and separation ability from the former Super Bowl champion.

Just days after New England opted to release Smith-Schuster, head coach Jerod Mayo was asked on Sunday about what went into the decision to cut ties with the former free-agent pickup.

“It was a decision between Eliot (Wolf) and myself, really to give the younger guys an opportunity to go out there and get more reps, and show what they could do,” Mayo said.