Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster talks re-signing with the team

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 felt 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 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 then 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 and you know being familiar with this Playbook yeah you feel like you could be ready to play next week umh 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 and you kept in touch with a lot of the guys that still play here even during your time in New England just make the transition back 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 decide to leave I think the Chiefs had some interest in retaining you um how much consideration did you give to just staying and not Le him 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 uh 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 want to do I kind of Branch off by myself and you know keep that going and you know some things 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 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 I'm ready just happy to be in this room why do you think that didn't work out New England uh 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 U but I think you know being there it was those guys a lot of weapons a lot 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 and uh yeah you still feel like you're yourself I mean when you come back here does that experience change you at all yeah not 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 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 had a couple years back yeah yeah I mean a lot a lot in the tank uh I don't know if I 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 have pop you have worthy you have you have Hollywood you have Rashid you have Sky you have KT so many guys man that 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 head coach and Pat you know it's kind of something that you know it made my job a lot easier let's go B and then Sam and then we'll go a couple more J you've spoken about this a little bit but that that room of receivers 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 Rashid like you know this kind of position I played the years I was here so it was it was very cool to see you know how those guys used them in that way and that 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 that that was pretty impressive he 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 do 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 filling 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 and 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 and Andy you know these are three of the best coaches in the NFL just what's your takeway in sense that 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 favor their defensive guys and uh and you say you talk about defensive in 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 male 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 a 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 uh 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 it coming here wasn't a tough decision U just because you know I played her before I've been here before um yeah the media here is pretty awesome so you guys last you guys 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 of 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 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 ch right even when I was with the the Patriots you know they they like oh man you're going you know you're leaving practice you going to go see you know ring ceremony and then 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 miss 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 wory and Rashi but how well do you know Hollywood and how do you kind of feel each other you 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 play with Lamar play with Kyler so he he he understands that you know he's a guy who can stretch the field who could play everything um I I love his game and 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 one-year 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 one-year deal and 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 you got a number nine in your chest you got your number back was there negotiations for that or 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 my family all brand new numbers and so it makes my job a lot easier thanks guys thank you guys appreciate it