Teams in need of help at the tight end position receiving great news this Tuesday. The Atlanta Falcons are releasing Jonnu Smith, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
Smith was set to enter the final year of a four-year, $50 million contract he signed with the New England Patriots.
Even though Smith has just been released, it’s not for the lack of production. In fact, he had a career resurgence in Atlanta this past season.
Smith had 50 catches for 582 yards and three touchdowns this past season. Clearly, reuniting with Arthur Smith did wonders for him.
Prior to joining the Falcons in 2023, Smith had just 539 receiving yards in two seasons with the Patriots. Things just didn’t work out in New England.
As for his first NFL stint with the Tennessee Titans, Smith had 1,302 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns from 2017-2020.
It’ll be interesting to see which teams pursue Jonnu Smith in free agency. Perhaps the Pittsburgh Steelers will extend an offer to him. After all, they recently hired Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator.
At the very least, signing Smith would help the Steelers smoothly transition from one offensive system to another.