(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots are coming off an 8-9 season, their second under .500 in the past three seasons.
This is rare territory for the Patriots, especially given their success during the Tom Brady era.
They’ve struggled to find an offensive identity post-Brady, and haven’t necessarily had any stars to rely on.
With the hopes of improving their wide receiver room, the Patriots brought in Juju Smith-Schuster during the offseason.
While Smith-Schuster was a valuable contributor for the Kansas City Chiefs last season, it appears that he is suffering from an injury.
According to Mike Giardi, Smith-Schuster is still dealing with previous injuries.
Thoughts on #Patriots after day 1 of mandatory mini camp Monday.
– “Disappointing” was the word used to describe Trent Brown’s absence.
– JuJu Smith-Schuster had to be managed for the entirety of the 2nd half of last season with the Chiefs. Practices missed, etc. That he is still…
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) June 13, 2023
This update could be catastrophic to the Patriots’ receiving room moving forward.
Smith-Schuster was brought in as a veteran presence, especially given that the team recently moved on from Jakobi Meyers.
If his status is called into question, this could mean that Mac Jones has even fewer options at his disposal.
The next few options at receiver are Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, and Tyquan Thornton.
Thornton will be entering his second season in 2023 and could flourish if given an increased role.
Parker is an eight-year NFL veteran but has dealt with injury concerns of his own.
He played in just 13 games last season for the Patriots and could miss time this year if not fully healthy.
Bourne was brought in during the 2022 offseason, in hopes that he would be a nice depth piece for the team.
He too may be called upon in a larger capacity this season, provided Smith-Schuster’s injury is serious.
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