Liverpool play Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in consecutive matches at the start of April, making up a week that Jurgen Klopp acknowledges could be "pretty decisive" in the Reds' season.
After being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid on Wednesday, Liverpool's only remaining aim is securing a return to Europe's elite club competition for next season.
That is no guarantee in a difficult campaign, sitting sixth, six points behind Tottenham with a game in hand and two points behind Newcastle United having played a game more.
Consistency has deserted Klopp's side, as shown by their 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth six days on from a 7-0 victory over Manchester United.
But Klopp is determined to achieve a top-four finish and knows just how vital the next stretch of fixtures could prove.
"Of course, it is 'the' competition and we want to be part of it every year," the manager said. "That's a massive task for us, we all know that.
"When we come back from the international break, we have a proper football week ahead of us, I would say, with three games: City, Chelsea and Arsenal, which will then probably define what we get out of it.
"People might say we lost it in Bournemouth, but I think this week is a pretty decisive one, so we have to hope now the boys come back healthy, early enough, in the right shape and then we will try it."
Klopp was speaking after the 1-0 loss to Madrid, which was followed by the LaLiga giants playing Liverpool anthem You'll Never Walk Alone in the stadium.
"It is a really nice gesture," Klopp said. "We are two heavyweights who meet each other quite frequently in international football.
"I think it is clear we respect each other a lot, and whoever did it, whoever was doing something like that, [made] a really nice gesture, I have to say.
"I was not angry after the game, but I was disappointed. I would be angry if we would have played better and it was close and then they win because of a penalty which was not a penalty or stuff like this.
"But in the end that all didn't happen. Real Madrid were just the better side and I am long enough in the business to respect that."
The Carolina Panthers have agreed terms to bring in former Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders as they continue to reshape their offense in the offseason.
Sanders was a second-round pick for the Eagles in 2019, and he will head to Carolina after enjoying the best season of his career as Philadelphia were beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVII.
The 25-year-old ran for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final year with Philadelphia, while he had 3,708 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in the last four seasons.
Reports from ESPN said Sanders' deal with the Panthers will run for four years, with the team looking to end a stretch of five consecutive campaigns without making the postseason.
Sanders' arrival continues a busy few days for Carolina, who agreed to send DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears as part of a blockbuster trade last week, receiving the number one overall pick in April's draft in exchange.
That trade has put the Panthers in position to take a leading quarterback after Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker all failed to impress as the team's starter last year.
Carolina have also agreed three-year contract with center Bradley Bozeman, along with deals for tight end Hayden Hurst and backup quarterback Andy Dalton.
Fletcher Cox will remain with the Philadelphia Eagles for at least one more season.
The veteran defensive tackle has agreed a one-year, $10million deal with the team that drafted him in the first round in 2012, according to multiple reports.
Cox was reportedly the subject of interest from the New York Jets but took less money to allow the Eagles to retain a key player at the heart of their defense.
Philadelphia have already lost one of their starting defensive tackles from their run to Super Bowl LVII, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, with Javon Hargrave signing a four-year, $84m deal with the team the Eagles beat to reach the Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers.
But Cox's decision to stay ensures the Eagles will still have a dependable veteran presence in the middle of their defensive line as they attempt to make another run.
His 65 career sacks are tied for the third-most in the NFL since he entered the league.
While his pass-rushing threat has somewhat diminished in recent times, Cox's aggregate win rate across pass rushing and run defense snaps of 40.12 per cent was second only to Brandon Graham, whom Philadelphia also retained, among Eagles defenders.
Luciano Spalletti believes Napoli's current team is a greater collective unit than the Partenopei sides which Diego Maradona inspired to two Serie A titles.
Napoli reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time on Wednesday, completing a 5-0 aggregate triumph in their last-16 tie against Eintracht Frankfurt.
A Victor Osimhen brace and a Piotr Zielinski penalty guided Napoli to a 3-0 win at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with last season's Europa League winners failing to land a blow on Spalletti's men.
With Napoli set to end a 33-year wait to win Serie A after building an 18-point lead at the summit, comparisons have been made with the sides Maradona led to the Scudetto in 1986-87 and 1989-90.
However, Spalletti feels his team are less reliant on individual brilliance, saying: "There is a key difference – nobody wins games alone like Maradona did.
"We manage to make up for our shortcomings thanks to collective work. Tonight I saw many elements combine and play a messy game, which sometimes you need.
"It's not just that the important individuals create an outlet. To make the most of it, you need those who scrape and clean up situations for the players with more quality."
While Napoli's remarkable rise has been a collective effort, Osimhen produced another talismanic forward display against Eintracht as he reached 23 goals for the campaign.
The Nigeria international has scored 13 times since the turn of the year – a tally only bettered by Marcus Rashford (15) among players from Europe's top five leagues – and Spalletti says there is more to come.
"He's already a world-class player, a great world-class player," Spalletti said of Osimhen. "He still has untapped potential – a lot of it – so we're pleased.
"In addition to scoring goals, he cleans up situations when the opposing team presses us, he creates opportunities for us. He has these flashes.
"Everything is correct with him, and we need to build on these matches both individually and collectively to be even more ready for the following games."
Carlo Ancelotti believes the high-press system favoured by Liverpool worked in Real Madrid's favour as the holders sealed a safe passage through to the Champions League quarter-finals.
Karim Benzema scored the only goal of Wednesday's last-16 second leg to complete a 6-2 aggregate win for Madrid, who have eliminated Liverpool from the competition for three seasons running, which includes last season's final.
The damage was ultimately done in the reverse fixture at Anfield three weeks ago when Madrid scored five goals in the space of 46 minutes to recover from two goals down and take control of the tie.
Liverpool had a number of chances at Santiago Bernabeu, but Madrid also tested Alisson five times before Benzema tapped in to inflict a joint-heaviest defeat on the Reds in a two-legged European tie.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric helped control play for the hosts, and Ancelotti puts that down to Liverpool's playing style, which has brought plenty of success and trophies to Anfield in recent years but has not been as efficient this season.
"Pressing up high for them has cost them because Modric and Kroos manage very well in these types of matches," Ancelotti told Movistar+.
"They are not afraid and are able to get the ball out from the back. It has cost [Liverpool] in this sense."
Madrid are through to the quarter-finals for a 19th time in the Champions League era – once more than LaLiga rivals Barcelona, and behind only Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich (21 times).
Ancelotti decided against making any substitutions until after Benzema's 78th-minute breakthrough, despite having a trip to Barca on Sunday, with the Italian explaining he was wary of Liverpool finding a route back into the tie.
"The team was fine. There's no need to change for the sake of changing," he said. "I wanted to keep the substitutions to stop the game if we had problems at the end.
"I liked the team. On a psychological level, in a game like this when you have a three-goal lead, you can lower your level... but we didn't lower it today."
Madrid had a late penalty appeal rejected following a VAR review in added time after a goal-bound shot hit Kostas Tsimikas on the arm, but Ancelotti had no complaints over the decision.
Asked about his conversation with Klopp at the end of the game, Ancelotti said: "We agreed it wasn't a handball. We talked about yesterday's penalty against Leipzig in the [Manchester City] game.
"You have to be careful with decisions like that because it's not football. I don't think anyone noticed it was a penalty, not even [Pep] Guardiola."
Ancelotti will take charge of a Champions League quarter-final for a 13th time, taking him ahead of Manchester United great Alex Ferguson and level with Guardiola (13) for the joint-most of any manager.
Victor Osimhen believes Napoli are good enough to win the Champions League after they reached the competition's quarter-finals for the first time with an emphatic win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Osimhen scored twice as Napoli ran out 3-0 winners in Wednesday's last-16 second leg at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, securing a 5-0 aggregate success over last season's Europa League winners.
Piotr Zielinski also netted from the penalty spot as Napoli posted their fourth win in as many home Champions League games this season – the Partenopei have scored three or more goals in each of those victories.
With Napoli's tally of 26 Champions League goals unmatched by any other team this campaign, Osimhen believes the runaway Serie A leaders are capable of delivering European glory.
"I think anything is possible and we have the squad to achieve this dream," Osimhen told BT Sport.
"We want to go step by step and we will see what happens at the end of the season.
"It feels good to make history with this win. It was huge win. Congratulations to the team on a good performance from the whole squad."
Asked whether he had any preference regarding Napoli's quarter-final opponents, the striker said: "We are a top club and it would be good to have a draw with another top club.
"It's going to be a huge match, it's going to be great. We are ready for it, and we are ready for any big team we might have to play."
Osimhen became the first Napoli player to score in both legs of a European Cup/Champions League knockout tie and he passed up the chance for a hat-trick by allowing Zielinski to take the Partenopei's penalty.
"With the penalty, Zielinski asked me if he could take it," he revealed. "Of course, I'm a team player and it doesn't matter who scores as long as the team achieves success.
"I know my goals will come with or without that penalty. It's good to have that kind of mentality in the squad, and I'm happy about the three goals."
Zielinski believes Napoli's competitors should be nervous about the prospect of facing them, saying: "We want to do the best we can. It is obvious that everyone wants to go all the way.
"Whoever we get in the draw, we want to play our football and go through to the next round. Whoever we get, we will be ready to fight.
"I think teams should be afraid of this Napoli team. We are in great shape and everyone who faces us struggles to get a result. We can do great things this season."
Jurgen Klopp was disappointed Liverpool were not able to produce a "special performance" against Real Madrid, meaning they would have been eliminated from the Champions League regardless of the first-leg collapse.
Liverpool headed to the Santiago Bernabeu for the return match in the last 16 with a huge task, needing to overturn a 5-2 deficit.
Klopp's Reds were unable to do that as they instead lost 1-0 to a Karim Benzema goal and bowed out 6-2 on aggregate.
While the nature of the heavy defeat at Anfield in the first match impacted on Liverpool's attempts to rescue the tie on Wednesday, Klopp pointed out even a draw at home would not have been enough if Madrid then controlled the second game.
"To be honest, if we draw at home and play the game that we played tonight, we go out probably as well," Klopp told BT Sport. "We cannot come here and hope that you get something.
"We prepared for a special performance, but we were not able to put it on the pitch tonight.
"It was obvious, I think – nobody is thinking, 'how could Liverpool go out?' That's probably the best sign that the right team went through."
He added: "In three halves of the two games, they were the better team. That's how you go through to the next round."
Liverpool at least avoided another embarrassment, albeit only after Alisson impressed in goal, making two "sensational saves", according to Klopp.
"Not all exits are like this," the manager said. "There are probably 500,000 different ways to go out, and this was ours tonight.
"It's not what we wanted, but it's what we got. Now we have to carry on."
The Washington Commanders have brought in some veteran competition at the quarterback spot by reportedly agreeing to a one-year contract with Jacoby Brissett.
ESPN reports that Brissett, who started the Cleveland Browns' first 11 games of last season while Deshaun Watson was serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s conduct policy, will be guaranteed $8million and can earn up to $10m.
The seven-year pro is expected to compete with 2022 draft pick Sam Howell to be Washington’s starter after the Commanders recently parted ways with their two main quarterbacks from last season, Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke.
Wentz was released on February 27 and Heinicke reportedly agreed to a two-year, $20m contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday.
Brissett comes in with a vast experience edge on Howell, whose lone NFL start came in Washington’s 2022 season finale. The former North Carolina standout helped the Commanders to a 26-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys that day, though coach Ron Rivera indicated this offseason that Howell would have to earn the number one job and the team would likely add a veteran to the mix.
The 30-year-old Brissett has started 48 games, including 15 for the Indianapolis Colts in both 2017 and 2019, and is coming off a solid lone season with the Browns in which he completed a career-best 64 per cent of his attempts while throwing for 2,608 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Brissett owns a career passer rating of 84.4 over 76 games while amassing 10,350 passing yards with a 48-to-23 touchdown-to-interception ratio, though his career record as a starter is just 18-30.
A third-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2016, Brissett will be playing for his fourth team in four years. After spending four seasons with the Colts, he started five games for the Miami Dolphins in 2021 before signing a one-year contract with the Browns last March.
Jurgen Klopp gave Liverpool just a "one per cent chance" of conjuring one of the great all-time Champions League comebacks in Wednesday's last-16 second leg with Real Madrid.
For any other club, maybe, but this is a side that wrote the book on making the impossible possible in the biggest club competition of them all – none more so than their triumph from three goals down against Milan in the 2005 final.
One of four sides to have progressed from a tie having lost the first leg by three or more goals – doing so against Barcelona in the 2018-19 semi-finals – Liverpool simply could not be completely written off.
Even as Karim Benzema fired in Madrid's fifth goal in their 5-2 win at Anfield three weeks ago, there was still that glimmer of hope. The one per cent chance, as Klopp put it.
In the end it was the prolific striker's 78th-minute tap-in that settled the second leg, extinguishing those lingering thoughts among the travelling fans high up in the away end that this would be another of those nights.
Incredibly, that Benzema goal came from the 11th shot on target of the second leg, with the first half in particular on a par with what we witnessed on Merseyside, albeit without the goals to show for it.
But for some fine goalkeeping from Thibaut Courtois, channelling his display from last season's showpiece in Paris between these heavyweights when making the most saves on record in a final, who knows what could have happened?
Courtois made four saves in the first half alone, three of those attempts from the energetic Darwin Nunez, who only just about managed as many passes (five) in the opening 45 minutes.
The 17 first-half shots attempted at both ends were just one fewer than the whole of the contest at Anfield, while the eight on-target attempts were the most in a Champions League knockout tie without a goal since the 2013 final.
This latest tussle between clubs boasting 20 European Cups between them certainly did not let down in terms of entertainment as a one-off, but Liverpool's inability to find a way through denied neutrals the jeopardy they tuned in for.
Instead it was Madrid who found a way, as they so often do, to remain on course for a sixth Champions League crown in under a decade. It is a period of dominance the like of which the competition has never seen.
While other teams may have given the Reds that route into the contest they craved, Madrid simply know how to get the job done on the big stage, even if they have struggled for consistency domestically this season.
This is the 27th time in 28 European Cup and Champions League ties they have advanced after winning the first leg away from home, the exception being their 5-3 aggregate defeat to Ajax at this stage in the 2018-19 season.
It was ultimately in that first leg at Anfield the damage was done, a five-goal blast in the space of 46 minutes of playing time completely blowing Liverpool away in a match they led 2-0 at one point.
Not many would have believed you after 20 minutes of the first leg at Anfield if you'd told them that Liverpool would go on to suffer a record equalling defeat across two legs of a European tie.
If not for Alisson, it may well have been a higher margin of defeat in what was an end-to-end game, the Reds keeper making six saves either side of Benzema's finish, which was his final action before limping off ahead of El Clasico.
It was that type of game, as both men between the sticks arguably proved their respective teams' best player.
And so there was to be no magical Madrid comeback for Liverpool, but nor too did they get annihilated in a match that saw them commit players forward in desperate search of that much-needed first goal.
The Reds' sole focus is now on a top-four battle in the Premier League, a far cry from 12 months ago when they already had one cup in the bag and were in hot pursuit of three more.
The era of the 'mentality monsters' is surely over. The question is whether Klopp can get a tune out of the new group he is assembling on the back of this record-equalling loss on the continent. Now that really would be some comeback.
Player of the Match Kieron Pollard and Sheldon Cottrell combined to lead Multan Sultans to a commanding 84-run win over the Lahore Qalanders and book a place in the finals of the Pakistan Super League for the third year running.
Pollard’s 57 from 34 balls during a 65-run partnership with Tim David after Multan Sultans lost Usman Khan for 29, Mohammad Rizwan for 33 and Rilee Rossouw for 13 to be 90-3 in the 13th over. The powerfully built Trinidadian smashed one four and six sixes, three of them coming off the bowling of Shaheen Afridi in the 19th over that yielded 20 runs.
He was eventually bowled by Haris Rauf in the final over in which Multan Sultans also lost the wicket of Khushdil the very next ball.
David remained unbeaten on 22 watched from the other end as Rauf finished with figures of 3-34 when the innings closed at 160-5.
Needing eight runs an over for victory, Lahore Qalanders found the going tough at 15-2 as Cottrell dismissed Mirza Baig for eight and Abdullah Shafique for a duck in the third over. Anwar Ali bowled Fakhar Azam for six and Lahore were quickly in deep trouble on 19-3.
Cottrell picked up his third wicket when he dismissed Afridi for a duck in the fifth over to make it 28-4. Pollard got rid of Sikandar Raza for one as Lahore crumbled towards defeat.
Sam Billings scored 19 and Rauf 15 but wickets continued to regularly as Lahore folded for 76 in 14.3 overs.
Cottrell finished with 3-20 while Pollard took 1-3 from the only over he bowled.
Real Madrid cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals as Liverpool never threatened the three-goal fightback they required in a 1-0 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.
European champions Madrid had claimed a brilliant 5-2 win in England in the first leg of their last-16 tie, leaving Liverpool a mighty uphill battle in Wednesday's return match.
The Reds defence – and Alisson in particular – at least gave their team-mates a platform from which to build this time, but the goal threat that had briefly concerned Madrid on Merseyside was less evident.
Eventually, Karim Benzema, that familiar foe, put Jurgen Klopp's side out of their misery as Madrid continued their bid for yet another crown in their favourite competition of all.
The goalkeepers were the undoubted stars of a goalless first half, with Alisson brilliantly blocking from Vinicius Junior at close quarters and soon touching Eduardo Camavinga's deflected shot onto the crossbar. A VAR review might have overturned the offside given against Vinicius when he was denied again by Alisson.
Those stops just about kept Liverpool in the tie, but Thibaut Courtois – the hero of last season's final between the sides – was not to be outdone. His fingertip stop from Darwin Nunez was as impressive as any of Alisson's saves, and he then beat away a thunderous Cody Gakpo drive.
Federico Valverde ran through early in the second half but scuffed straight at Alisson, with the same man heading over following excellent work on the left from Luka Modric. Benzema also missed the target when well placed on his right foot.
The chances continued to fall Madrid's way, however, and Benzema made no mistake when Vinicius miscued his finish and instead prodded to his team-mate for an open goal in the 78th minute.
Benzema took a kick in the process, but that was about the extent of Madrid's concern in a dominant 6-2 aggregate triumph.
What does it mean? Madrid never under threat
Klopp had acknowledged Liverpool would have to be "extremely good" to stand any chance, and they were not that in an attacking sense – particularly in the second half.
Still three goals behind in the tie with 45 minutes to play, the visitors needed to let the handbrake off but instead struggled to pose any sort of threat.
After a James Milner shot in the 37th minute – their eighth of the match – Liverpool went until Harvey Elliott's tame effort in the 83rd minute before mustering another attempt.
Courtois king again
This was more like the Courtois who made a match-winning nine saves in the Paris final than the man whose early mishap had Liverpool in control of this tie for a time at Anfield.
It may have been comfortable in the end, but Courtois made four crucial saves in the first half when a goal might have invited tension.
Salah so disappointing
Mohamed Salah's woeful penalty at Bournemouth on Saturday consigned Liverpool to a Premier League defeat, yet at least that registered as an attempt. He did not have a single shot here.
Although Salah created a pair of chances for team-mates, he was also painfully wasteful in the final third, where he misplaced only four passes but seemed to kill momentum each time.
What's next?
It will be Madrid's turn to chase a result on Sunday when they go to Barcelona for the Clasico. Liverpool do not play again before the international break, which is followed by a daunting trip to Manchester City.
Victor Osimhen scored twice as Napoli reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time on Wednesday, helping Luciano Spalletti's men to a 3-0 second-leg win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Osimhen netted either side of half-time in another talismanic display for the runaway Serie A leaders, who sealed a 5-0 aggregate triumph across a tie overshadowed by violent clashes between supporters.
Piotr Zielinski won and converted a penalty to make it 3-0 as Eintracht toiled without suspended forward Randal Kolo Muani at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
After swatting last season's Europa League winners aside, Napoli will be seen as a team to avoid when they join fellow Italian giants Milan and Inter in Friday's last-eight draw.
Napoli made a typically fast start as Matteo Politano tested Kevin Trapp with a low drive in the first minute, before the goalkeeper denied Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the end of slaloming run.
Oliver Glasner's well-drilled visitors kept Napoli at bay for much of the first half, though they were again indebted to Trapp for keeping out Kvaratskhelia's prodded attempt 40 minutes in.
Eintracht were unable to make it to half-time, however, with Osimhen hanging in the air to head Politano's cross into the top-right corner after a fine pass from Stanislav Lobotka.
Osimhen needed just eight minutes to grab his brace after the restart, stretching to divert Giovanni Di Lorenzo's low cross home from inside the six-yard box.
Trapp denied Kvaratskhelia for a third time when the Georgian attempted a curling shot on the hour mark, but he was unable to prevent Zielinski from making it 3-0 from 12 yards after the midfielder was clumsily tripped by Djibril Sow.
Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant has been suspended a total of eight games without pay for carrying a gun into a Denver nightclub earlier this month, the NBA announced on Wednesday.
Morant, who has been away from the Grizzlies since the March 4 incident and underwent counselling during his absence, will receive credit for the five games he has already missed and will be eligible to return for Memphis' March 20 home game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The decision was announced after Morant met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in New York on Wednesday.
Although Morant was not charged by Colorado authorities with any crime and the NBA said its investigation could not determine whether the gun belonged to him or was brought by him into the club, Silver concluded that the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year's conduct was detrimental to the league when announcing the extended penalty.
"Ja's conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous," Silver said in a statement.
"It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him. He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behaviour.
"Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident and that he understands his obligations and responsibility to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA community extend well beyond his play on the court."
Morant was seen holding the gun as he conducted an Instagram Live session from the nightclub hours after the Grizzlies' 113-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 3.
The Grizzlies announced the next day that the two-time All-Star would be away from the team indefinitely as the NBA undertook an investigation of the incident.
The 2019 number two overall pick issued a written apology for his actions shortly afterwards and entered a counselling programme in Florida last week for what he said was to "take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being".
Morant, who ranks fifth in the NBA in assists per game and ninth in scoring, was previously involved in another off-court incident following a game against Indiana on January 29 that resulted in several of the star guard's acquaintances being banned by the NBA from attending Grizzlies home games.
In that event, members of Morant's group reportedly confronted representatives of the Pacers' travelling party after the game, and a red laser was pointed from an SUV believed to be carrying Morant towards Indiana players and coaches as they made their way to the team bus.
Morant is averaging 27.1 points and 8.2 assists in 53 games this season for a Memphis team who hold the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Memphis lost their first two games during Morant's current hiatus but have since won three straight, following up a 131-110 victory over defending NBA champions the Golden State Warriors on March 9 with a home-and-home sweep of Dallas.
JuJu Smith-Schuster will join the New England Patriots after winning the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
The wide receiver has agreed a three-year contract worth $33million to sign for the Patriots despite the Chiefs attempting to retain him, according to NFL Network.
"Excited for my next chapter in New England!" Smith-Schuster wrote on Twitter after the news broke on Wednesday.
"I will give this organisation everything I have, thank you for believing in me!"
Smith-Schuster had 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns with Kansas City in 2022.
He then grabbed seven catches for 53 yards as a thrilling Chiefs comeback saw them win Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona, also drawing a crucial late holding penalty from James Bradberry.
Smith-Schuster spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being picked in the second round of the 2017 draft.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 after an impressive year that saw him record 111 receptions for 1,426 yards.
A shoulder injury impacted his last year in Pittsburgh but a productive season catching passes from Patrick Mahomes helped the 26-year-old to get his NFL career back on track.
Possession receiver Smith-Schuster was rated as one of the top pass-catchers available on the open market this offseason along with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jakobi Meyers.
He now joins a Patriots team that was in need of receiving talent, particularly after losing Meyers - their leading receiver for three straight seasons - to the Las Vegas Raiders.
As well as expressing his excitement over his free agency deal, Smith-Schuster showed gratitude to the Chiefs.
He added: "Thank you to Kansas City for the giving me the opportunity to come in and contribute to a Super Bowl, the most unforgettable experience of my life.
"I will always love my team-mates, the coaching staff, and the fans for being so great to me."
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