JuJu Smith-Schuster & Nick Bolton Speak to the Media at Chiefs Practice | AUGUST 27, 2024

up I was a bang bang play I was just getting work in it was an accident uh but guys just F around having fun and I just happen to be in a crossfire but yeah man took some time off I got healthy I'm out there with the guys now I'm ready to roll we're getting looking forward to going toward Baltimore so yeah I'll be ready to go for that one say 100% yeah is that bra something you're going have to continue to wear even during the game uh yeah start the season off uh I probably will uh it's probably something I can probably get get rid of as the season progresses and how I feel with it but yeah probably start the season off I'll probably have something on there uh just protect it a little bit does it limit your Mobility no how much do you feel like you missed not playing in the preseason yeah man I think uh the whole thing man training camp preseason uh just kind of getting out there and just going through my mechanics I think that's kind of huge um especially on preseason in our defense a lot of communication and getting guys on on the same page and so yeah I definitely missed that aspect of it I think I've done a great job of kind of just getting in where I can making my calls making my checks and going through the mental part of the game kind of get me prepared for week one and so I'm continue to do that and um stay a little bit late I talk to spags a little bit on the side and I talk to the guys that's been playing and and uh learning from them as well as we go they kind of help you that you kind of took a little bit of a step back to do those middle reps just to get through things yeah man I didn't really want to I did that all last year I went through the mental part of it but uh but yeah man it helps a lot I've see him especially every year our defense changes a little bit and I'm just kind of seeing what spags thinks uh and then the guys we have and figure out what they play best in and stuff like that uh it's definitely been good on the sideline you me some some changes there's a few changes you know like Will's gone Jer gone some guys there we talked about this back in OTAs and stuff but now it's like about a week away from the season what do you feel feel about the group that you guys are going to put out there when the Ravens come to town yeah man it's completely different than last year man but I think it's for for I mean I think it's a good thing I think own identity uh we got guys that are emerging As Leaders we got young guys that are stepping up uh draw training camp a lot a lot of vet guys weren't weren't in there um so we l on a lot of those young guys for communication getting people lined up and um just playing off of each other and it definitely helps that whenever we come back guys like Jen Hicks aren't have to make all the calls and just go out there and play play fast and then use his Instinct so uh yeah I think that's been huge uh I think the young guys uh stepping up and back path of camp and um early in the preseason definitely helped us out helped us grow a little bit and I made a better defense heard you were in the treatment room yesterday when you heard a laugh yeah it was a little familiar U was that when you first realized that Juju was coming back and yeah honestly didn't know didn't know that until that morning I think he came in was finishing his physical or something like that and I was down laying down face down on the table just getting some treatment on my elbow I look up like man this dude sounds familiar man happed to be him and I was like man it's crazy man full circle but yeah I think he's glad to be back in the building man we're happy to have him and guy that's been here done that and um knows what to expect as we go throughout this whole season so definitely happy to have him in the building you had these little injuries You' had haven't really been season any devastating injuries frustration level with just these little things that are happening to you you feel a little bit snake bit sometimes uh I think it's football man I think uh God bless he was 23 years healthy uh got two two years one and a half years whatever of being dinged up I think I'll take it in the retrospect of things but but yeah man it's a little frustrating man but man it's football uh we all we all going to go through it eventually um about seeing how you can get to the other side of it man and just have your team win football games ni I know you don't try to think about it too much with everything goes off the field but Creed signing here is in signing I know you're in line for one you probably heard but um just how do you just make sure you maintain your focus on the football field knowing that sometimes if an injury happens oh man I might not be able to show myself or whatever how are you deing with all that yeah man I think uh I went through that last year a little bit and so now it's just about having fun man the snaps that you do get making the best of them uh you realize again I've been 23 years healthy never doing the injury side of it so you gain a little respect for how the game is played and how to play it and um yeah man I think just kind of take the good with the bad man just roll with the punches going out there executing the game plan having fun and know getting up with my teammates my brothers I think that's what we live for we all live for Sundays and so yeah I mean it's just part of the game and I deal with it I just keep going a couple more right thank you yep e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e here we are here we are here we are huh take us through how this happened and uh take us through the whole process um yeah man uh obviously you know I got released by New England and uh pretty much just talking to teams and seeing what what option f best and you know coming here was probably the best you know for me and uh my career so yeah why I was coming here best for you why do you feel like this is the best spot for you uh you know just very familiar with the offense uh very familiar with uh you know Andy Reid Pat the guys you know so just being in this this facility uh you know kind of makes your job a lot easier than going to somewhere new where you kind of got to learn everything you know pretty quickly I think the hardest part for offensive player is going to a new system and having to study a whole new playbook um you know being in New England I studi two Playbook two offensive Playbook and then you know being familiar with this Playbook yeah you feel like you could be ready to play next week um H it's too early to say I just got the Playbook so it's uh you know some things has changed so just you know taking it day by day um but um you never know I kept in touch with a lot of the guys that still play here even during your time in New England make the transition back here so yeah yeah yeah I mean I'm you know all these guys are my friends so you know we always you know touch base here and there uh you know got got to see him last year too when you guys came down to uh you know to Boston and uh played there so yeah I was kept in touch with these guys when you did this have leave I think the Chiefs had some interest in retaining you um how much consideration did you give to just just staying and and not leading to begin with say that again how much consideration did you did you give to maybe staying with the Chiefs in the first place and leaving when you did make that decision yeah I mean that was a tough decision it was tough um you know a place like this is very special and uh being able to play with these guys and you know the coaches here it was a tough decision you know um but you know at the end of the day I kind of needed to do something that you know I wanted to do uh kind of Branch off at myself and you know keep that going and you know some's happen so yeah it's very different than than when you were here last time just how do you think you kind of fit into this offense now with the boosted receivers yeah man this is this is a great offense you have so many weapons now um honestly just happy and glad to be a part of you know this offense and being in it um but for me you know like I said just getting used to the Playbook and just trying to see where I fit in um so whatever that may be wherever coach wants to use me uh I'm ready just happy to be in this room you think that work out Eng ah man it's uh you know I think it was a uh I mean it's a great organization um you know being able to be coached by Bill was really awesome you know I can say that you know I was coached by one of the greatest head coaches of all time uh which is great um but I think you know being there it was those guys a lot of weapons lot a lot of weapons in that room and uh you know I felt like you know we kind of just you know went our separate ways and uh yeah you still feel like you're yourself I mean when you come back here do that experience change it at all yeah n for sure for sure for sure um like this is this is uh this is a place you know you want to be it's very special you know like you guys all know how it is here so um yeah for sure feel that how much you feel that you have you know left in the tank if you will um you know just going out there and giving the best that you possibly can maybe you try to match the numbers a couple years back yeah yeah I mean a lot a lot in the tank uh I don't know if I'll be able to match those numbers in a couple years back because like I said we got so many weapons we have so it's only one ball right in football man you got you got a running back you got kelse you got pop you have worthy you have you have Hollywood you have rashed you have Sky you have KT there so many guys man that you you can you know Meo you have so many guys in this offense where you can do so many things so um as for me it's not so much about numbers it's more about where I can you know be used and fit you know I wasn't here during training camp with these guys and you know going through all that so like I said you know being able to come back here and be familiar with the you know the OC uh head coach and Pat you know it's kind of something that you know it made my job a lot easier let's go V and then Sam and then we'll go a couple more J you've spoken about this a little bit but that that rumor rece you you know a couple of the guys really well but a couple that you haven't played with what what's your sense of the the feeling of your fit in the group man uh I mean you got speed uh down the field uh great hands um you know me being able to watch you know last year me watching you know uh rice rashed like you know this kind of position I played the years I was here so it it was very cool to see you know how those guys used them in that way and form so being able to just you know see that and coming in and be a leader in that room you know being a vet you know in the room so just being able to help those those young guys out um so yesterday was my first practice in being able to see uh worthy run I was I was pretty impressive he's like just floating across the field so um it's it's pretty cool that you know a guy like him who can open up you know the offense and what did Andy or Brett what did they speak to you about sort of maybe how you think how they think you'll fit in the mix anything in particular uh not yet not yet I mean it's still kind of early right it's only the second practice uh you know yesterday I got you know a few plays and today I got a little bit more so slowly getting in you know that offensive role and just being pretty much you know feeling in those gaps so it's uh as you guys all know Andy you know he loves you know his weapons and he has so many different things that he can do with so many different guys so yeah what was your Super Bowl watching experience like last year oh man it was awesome man it it was really cool just because I know those guys personally and uh being able to just see like you know guys like pop and you know sky and all those guys go out there and get you know their second third fourth ring right so those those guys are you know it's it it was it was awesome right um a lot of people always ask me like man you could have stayed for the second one but I think what I did in decision I made was you know best for myself and my future and my you know for my family so um I think God works in mysterious ways and you know has brought me back to a place like this so yeah in the frame of working under you know Tomlin and Bill and Andy you know these are three of the best coaches in the NFL just what's your takeway in sense of they're just the idea of being different ways to get the job done yeah man dude uh so playing with with with Tomlin and Bill like that when it comes to defensive mindset it's like those guys are are like you know it's a heavy defensive package like they're going to favorite their defens the guys and um and you say you talk about defensive and Championship right like you know stopping offenses and you know stop putting up points on the board but um those guys are very unique when it comes to that also I would say males the same way even in training camp like he kind of biased to the defens uh def the defensive team so that was pretty cool but being with an offensive minded head coach that's a totally different ball game um I think coming to a place like this and like being a receiver being a tight end there's so many opportunities for you to you know you know for you to get the ball you know so focused heavily on offense and putting up points you know does make a difference and a guy like Andy Reid who's the Mastermind is it's pretty cool what he can do what he can do so um like I said I think it coming here wasn't a tough decision um just because you know I paid it before I've been here before uh yeah the media here is pretty awesome so you guys you guys my Easy Go Adam I'm trying to remember did you come back for the after you won the Super Bowl here did you come back for the ring ceremony and the go to the White House I did I did to both those yeah yeah yeah why was that was that important for you yeah man I mean dude you talk about starting from training camp all the way down all the way up until you know the Super Bowl um it's a cool experience right you know I've always dreamed about you know going having the ring ring ceremony and then going to the the White House and being able to meet Biden and I I think that was pretty cool so I think that whole part of it was just part of the journey that I've always wanted to just do you know I think it was pretty cool to see the guys go again this year and and to be a part of that as well and I think those moments you kind of cherish right um even when I was with the the Patriots you know they they're like oh man you're going you know you're leaving practice you going to go see you know ring ceremony and they go to the white house I'm like yeah man it's all part of the deal of you know all the hard work and dedication you put in you got to practices yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so it was cool seeing my old teammates again so it was awesome you mentioned your kind of your first impressions of worthy and Rashid but how well do you know Hollywood and how do you kind of feel each other either complimenting each other playing off yeah yeah I mean I know Hollywood pretty well I mean uh he's a guy that's you know we're probably around the same year uh coming into the league and uh he's a guy that's played with another great quarterback right you play with Lamar play with Kyler so he he he understands that you know he's a guy who can stretch the field who can play everything um I I love this game man I think playing with him helps me helps him helps everybody on the team that that just compliments each other uh and I'm happy that he's here you know he he's in a great system I remember when uh he had signed I'm or he I think he had reached out to me but he had signed and I was like bro I'm so happy for you bro like man you taking a oneye deal going to a place where that's very special you know that's something I was in the same situation where I needed to do a oneye deal and you know I came here and I played and it helped me you know with my career and you know got me another contract you know to play somewhere else so for him he's a guy that you know he's a very special dude and I'm happy that he's here to be a part of team that's one you got a number nine in your chest you got your number back was there negotiations for that yeah yeah yeah uh there's no uh it's funny uh yeah I got my number nine back um I thought I wasn't wasn't going to be able to get it back um but you know for somehow they made it happen and yeah I'm happy I got it back now I don't have to go by I my family all brand new numbers and so it makes my job a lot easier thanks guys thank you guys appreciate e