The New England Patriots on Friday decided to cut ties with veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The writing had been on the wall for Smith-Schuster, who struggled throughout Patriots training camp and was limited to just a few drives in New England's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo explained what led to the team's decision, and indicated it came down to two things.
"It was a decision between Eliot and myself really to give the younger guys an opportunity to go out there and get more reps and show what they can do," Mayo told reporters Sunday morning, per a team-provided video.