On a roster filled with superstars, this Kansas City Chiefs player has done his part in helping this offense succeed through nine weeks of the 2025 campaign. While the Kansas City Chiefs get to sit back and relax this week in the National Football League, they will be keeping close tabs on what happens in Week 10. Through nine weeks of the campaign, the Chiefs have seen the highs and the lows on both sides of the football.
One offensive weapon has been as consistent as the franchise could have asked him to be through the campaign so far, and that’s veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster had a quiet year in 2024, but the front office brought him back on a one-year deal to do exactly what he has through Week 9: be the reliable cog in a machine that’s already humming at playoff volume.
The Importance of JuJu
Smith-Schuster is very familiar with how the Chiefs offense likes to conduct its business, having been with the franchise for two seasons before 2025. In a wide receiving room that features Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Hollywood Brown, it’s easy for JuJu to get overlooked. But his production speaks for itself.
Through nine weeks, Smith-Schuster has collected 291 receiving yards, 60 yards more than he had through 14 games last season, and he’s done so in 25 receptions. Patrick Mahomes and Smith-Schuster found each other 18 times in 2024, meaning that the veteran wide receiver has seen his workload increase. More importantly, he’s turned those opportunities into chain-moving plays, averaging 11.6 yards per catch—his best mark since his Pittsburgh days.
For a player who has seen success and failure as a member of the Chiefs franchise, Smith-Schuster has a strong understanding of how aggressive this offense can be. When asked about the aggressiveness so far, Smith-Schuster has a belief in the process.
“I think (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) believes in us and our mentality. As a group, when we’re in a huddle and it’s fourth and one (or) fourth and inches, it’s like there’s no question in doubt we’re going to get this first down and we all truly believe that,” Smith-Schuster said prior to their game against Buffalo.
“We’re going to be aggressive every single play and especially on those fourth and inches because one, it keeps the drive momentum going, but it also, as a defense, and vice versa too, it’s just kind of like that momentum just kind of crushes them. I think for us, it’s just more so making our plays and getting those stops.”
Smith-Schuster ranks fourth in the Chiefs wide receiving room in receiving yards this season, but that’s a misleading stat in an offense designed for distribution. What stands out is his catch rate: 78.1%, second only to Travis Kelce among pass-catchers with 20-plus targets. He’s the guy Mahomes trusts on third-and-medium, the safety valve when Worthy’s speed draws double coverage or Rice is schemed open on the boundary. In a league obsessed with explosive plays, JuJu’s steady diet of 8-12 yard gains is the glue holding Kansas City’s no-huddle tempo together.
The Overlooked Engine in a Star-Studded Machine
The NFL narrative around the Chiefs has fixated on the glamour: Mahomes’ wizardry, Kelce’s enduring chemistry, and the influx of young talent like Worthy, whose 4.32 speed has already produced highlight-reel touchdowns. Even Hollywood Brown’s veteran savvy gets its due after his midseason acquisition. But amid the flash, Smith-Schuster has become the blind spot—the unheralded engine powering the league’s most efficient offense.
Through nine weeks, Kansas City ranks third in scoring (28.4 points per game) and fourth in yards per play (6.1), despite a defense that’s ranked 18th in points allowed. The highs? A 38-point demolition of the Ravens in Week 3 and a gritty comeback against the Bills last Sunday. The lows? Turnovers in the red zone and a nagging injury bug that’s sidelined Rice for two games. Yet, in every scenario, JuJu has been there—quietly, effectively.
Consider the Bills game: With Mahomes under siege from Von Miller’s pass rush, Smith-Schuster hauled in a crucial 15-yard slant on third-and-7, extending a drive that ended in a go-ahead field goal. Or rewind to Week 6 against the Chargers: Facing a blitz-heavy scheme from Jesse Minter’s defense, JuJu’s underneath routes netted 42 yards on five catches, including a 19-yard wheel route that flipped field position.
This isn’t splashy. It’s surgical. And in Andy Reid’s system, where pre-snap motion and play-action feast on predictable defenses, Smith-Schuster’s route-running precision is the spark. He’s not outrunning corners like Worthy or bullying linebackers like Kelce—he’s the chess piece that creates space for everyone else. Analysts have spent weeks debating the Chiefs’ “depth issues” at receiver, ignoring how JuJu’s veteran IQ allows Reid to mix and match without missing a beat.
Why the League’s Blind Spot is About to Bite
As the Chiefs enter their bye week at 7-2, tied atop the AFC West and holding the conference’s No. 3 seed, the rest of the league is laser-focused on the wrong threats. Buffalo’s Josh Allen? A perennial thorn, but their secondary is gassed. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson? Elite, but the run game sputters without Derrick Henry at full strength. The Bengals? Burrow’s back, but Cincinnati’s O-line is a turnstile.
Enter the Chiefs’ true engine: a JuJu-fueled offense that’s peaking at the perfect time. Post-bye, Kansas City faces a murderers’ row—Eagles on the road in Week 11, then the Bills rematch, Ravens, and Bengals to close the month. If Smith-Schuster maintains his clip (projected for 520 yards and 4 TDs over 17 games), he’ll eclipse 800 yards, a career revival that validates GM Brett Veach’s faith.
The ripple effect? Every Super Bowl contender should be sweating. The Eagles’ secondary, already vulnerable to slot receivers, could get carved up in Philly. Buffalo’s zone-heavy looks? JuJu thrives there, as his 2023 tape against the Bills shows. And in January? When defenses stack the box for Kelce and double Worthy, Smith-Schuster becomes Mahomes’ security blanket—the guy who turns 50/50 balls into first downs.
The league has spent nine weeks ignoring this. Draft previews gush over rookie speedsters; free-agency hot takes chase the next big splash. But championships aren’t won on Instagram highlights—they’re built on reliability. JuJu Smith-Schuster isn’t the sexiest name on the depth chart, but he’s the reason the Chiefs’ engine won’t stall. And when the playoffs roll around, that oversight will cost pretenders dearly.
Mark this: By conference championship weekend, the “JuJu bump” will be the hottest stat in Kansas City. The true engine isn’t broken—it’s revving up to derail the field.