Former Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith will officially become a member of the New England Patriots on March 17, the start of the new league year, after he agreed to terms on a four-year deal on Monday.
Smith’s contract will pay him $50 million over the four years, with $31.25 million guaranteed, per his agent, which works out to an annual average of $12.5 million per season.
At the time of this writing, that average ranks third in the NFL among tight ends, behind only the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle (No. 1) and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce (No. 2).
For the first time since the deal was revealed, Smith posted to social media to greet his new team and let New England know he is ready to go to work.
All I know is work. @Patriots let’s get to it.
— Jonnu Smith (@Easymoney_81) March 15, 2021
Just in case you don’t believe him, just consider the kind of shape Smith keeps himself in:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_x13YjHW7I/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
While the Titans likely wanted to bring Smith back, there simply was no way it could happen, and especially not at that price. Tennessee has major needs to fill elsewhere and limited funds to spare, and Smith simply wasn’t utilized enough in the offense to justify paying him this offseason.
If the Pats can unleash the former third-round pick, he has the potential to be one of the top tight ends in the NFL, as he’s an athletic freak capable of breaking off big gains and lining up anywhere on the field. And, he truly checks all the boxes with his ability to block.
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