NFL veteran tight end Jonnu Smith signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the New England Patriots. Smith, a former third-round pick, spent the 2020 season with the Tennessee Titans.
Former Titans’ TE Jonnu Smith reached agreement with the Patriots on a 4–year, $50 million deals that includes $31.25 million fully guaranteed, @DrewJRosenhaus told ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2021
Jonnu Smith, New England Patriots, Agree to Contract
Jonnu Smith is coming off of what is, statistically, the best season of his young career. Appearing in 15 regular season games, the tight end finished his season with 41 receptions for 448 yards and eight touchdowns. Each one of these marks was a career-high, and he did it all while providing above-average blocking in the trenches for Derrick Henry.
Smith initially entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. As is so often the case with tight ends, Smith needed some time before he was ready to be a full-time contributor in this offense. While he appeared in all 16 games and was credited with 13 starts, the rookie ended his season with just 18 receptions on 30 targets for 157 yards and two touchdowns. He saw a slight increase in production the next season, ending the year with 20 receptions for 258 yards and three touchdowns.
Smith spent the first two years of his career behind Delaine Walker, and started his third in the same position. However, the veteran tight end suffered an injury early in the season, allowing Smith to finally be the top tight end in the offense. This injury, combined with the emergence of Ryan Tannehill, led to something of a breakout campaign in 2019. Overall, Smith finished the year with 35 receptions for 439 yards and three touchdowns.
Smith is one of the best tight ends in the league when it comes to picking up yards after the catch. He’s also an athletic freak, ranking in the 93rd percentile in SPARQ-x score. Throughout the course of his still-young career, the tight end has recorded 114 receptions on 169 targets for 1,302 yards and 16 touchdowns.
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