FOXBOROUGH — When asked why he signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Patriots in March, JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t point to the team’s quarterback or the Patriots’ chances of winning a Super Bowl.
“Honestly? Bill, man,” Smith-Schuster said Tuesday, referring to coach Bill Belichick. “I just felt like I fit here.”
The wide receiver doesn’t have a deep relationship with Belichick, but it all began before a Week 15 game in 2018, a 17-10 Steelers win in Pittsburgh that was the last Patriots’ loss of that season before winning the Super Bowl.
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After the game, Belichick sought out Smith-Schuster to offer praise to the then-second year receiver.