Since returning to the Kansas City Chiefs, JuJu Smith-Schuster has already matched his touchdown total from his time with the New England Patriots.

The former Patriots free agent bust was instrumental for the Chiefs in their win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. The veteran receiver caught two passes for 17 yards, including a touchdown in the third quarter that made the difference in Atlanta’s 22-17 victory.

The game marks Smith-Schuster’s first offensive production since returning to Kansas City (and an offense in which he gets to play with Patrick Mahomes).

The 27-year-old is coming off a disappointing season in New England. In 2023, Smith-Schuster signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the Patriots, with the expectation that he would become the team’s new top receiver.

That didn’t work out so well, however. Instead, Smith-Schuster struggled in his return from a knee injury and showed mixed results.

With the Patriots, Smith-Schuster played in 11 games in 2023, catching 29 passes for 260 yards and 1 touchdown.

Despite optimism that his knee had improved in the offseason, Smith-Schuster failed to stand out during training camp and became mired in the receiver rankings.

Smith-Schuster’s time in New England ended on August 9 when news broke that the team had chosen to cut him. The veteran receiver was set to bring in $10.28 million in salary cap space. Even after he was cut, he still cost the team $9.63 million in dead cap money.

This isn’t the first time Smith-Schuster has found a resurgence in Kansas City. He did something similar in 2022. After an unproductive, injury-plagued end to his five-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the receiver signed a cheap contract with the Chiefs in 2022.

That season, Smith-Schuster caught 78 passes for 933 yards and contributed to the team’s Super Bowl run.