The Green Bay Packers added a veteran tight end Thursday, agreeing to a one-year contract with Jonnu Smith just before the team’s preseason finale.
The move brings a former Pro Bowl pass catcher into a room that has looked thin since training camp opened.
NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the agreement, writing, “Packers are signing free-agent TE Jonnu Smith to a one-year deal, as @Schultz_Report also reported.”
The timing suggests Green Bay is preparing for the possibility that Luke Musgrave will not be available when the regular season starts.Musgrave, a former second-round pick, began camp on the physically unable to perform list because of a neck injury and has not practiced.
If he stays on the PUP list into the season, he will miss the first four games at minimum and could sit out as many as six.Smith gives the Packers an experienced option who can line up immediately behind starter Tucker Kraft.
Josh Whyle remains on the roster after spending last season in Green Bay. Coaches have praised his work, yet he is generally viewed as a depth player rather than a featured target.Drake Dabney had been pushing for a roster spot as a blocker who could spell Kraft. That path now looks more difficult.
Messiah Swinson, a converted wide receiver still learning the tight end position, has yet to play in an NFL game.
The Packers also signed McCallan Castles and Thomas Yassmin this offseason mainly to fill out the group during camp. Neither was considered a strong candidate to serve as the No. 2 tight end.Smith’s arrival reshuffles the depth chart. He is expected to work behind Kraft, with Whyle sliding into a third-tight-end role and Dabney facing a steeper climb to make the 53-man roster.
Smith, 31, is heading into his 10th NFL season. The Tennessee Titans drafted him in the third round in 2017 out of Florida International.He spent four seasons with the Titans and finished with 114 receptions for 1,302 yards.
New England signed him afterward to pair with Hunter Henry in a two-tight-end scheme under Bill Belichick. The fit never fully clicked. Smith caught 55 passes for 539 yards across two years with the Patriots.
A one-year stint in Atlanta produced 50 catches for 582 yards.The following season in Miami became the high point of his career. Smith hauled in 88 passes for 884 yards and earned his first Pro Bowl berth with the Dolphins.
Miami later traded him to Pittsburgh, where he never found the same rhythm with Aaron Rodgers. Last season with the Steelers he finished with 38 receptions for 222 yards.That modest production helps explain why he was still available this late in the offseason.
Green Bay is betting the two strong seasons before Pittsburgh still show what Smith can do when the role fits. How the Packers handle the position once Musgrave returns to health remains the next question.
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