KC Chiefs land JuJu Smith-Schuster; Jarran Reed to visit Bengals: free agency, Day 3
The Chiefs weren’t particularly active through the first two days of NFL free agency, with safety Justin Reid their lone addition of note.
That changed on Friday, when the Chiefs landed wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. The former Pittsburgh Steelers star announced the move via Twitter. His addition gives the Chiefs another big-time receiving threat for superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Reid and the Chiefs agreed to terms on a three-year deal earlier in the week, but the contract didn’t become official until Wednesday, which marked the start of the league’s new calendar year.
As of Friday morning, the Chiefs had $6.1 million in available cap space, according to the NFLPA Public Salary Cap Report. Details about Smith-Schuster’s contract, per a source with knowledge of the situation, is one year for $10.75 million.
The Chiefs have seen three players from their 2021 roster sign elsewhere this week. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, a player in whom Chiefs general manager Brett Veach had expressed interest in bringing back, signed a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers; wide receiver Byron Pringle joined the Chicago Bears on a one-year contract; and backup center Austin Blythe agreed to a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
Kansas City, though, was able to handle a couple of in-house matters at the start of free agency, restructuring defensive end Frank Clark’s contract to free up some salary-cap space and bringing back quarterback Chad Henne and offensive lineman Andrew Wylie on one-year deals.
The Chiefs also extended qualifying tender offers to tight end Jody Fortson and running back Derrick Gore, two of their exclusive-rights free agents. Cornerback Chris Lammons, who is dealing with off-field legal issues in Las Vegas, did not receive a qualifying tender offer and is now a free agent.
What’s next for the Chiefs? Follow along here for live updates on the third day of free agency.
Jarran Reed visiting Bengals
The Chiefs might lose another player from their 2021 roster. Defensive tackle Jarran Reed is scheduled to make a free-agent visit to the Cincinnati Bengals, a source familiar with the situation confirmed Friday morning with The Star.
The 6-foot-3, 313-pound Reed joined the Chiefs last year on a one-year deal. His arrival allowed the Chiefs to experiment early with Chris Jones, who moved from inside to left defensive end. Jones eventually moved back inside alongside Reed after the Chiefs traded for veteran pass rusher Melvin Ingram.
Reed started all 17 regular-season games for the Chiefs in 2021, totaling 43 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 12:39 PM with the headline "KC Chiefs land JuJu Smith-Schuster; Jarran Reed to visit Bengals: free agency, Day 3."
