Jonnu Smith had more important things to do during the New England Patriots’ voluntary organized team activities last offseason. He was a new father. He elected not to join his new team, eventually attending mandatory minicamp, where he suffered a hamstring injury that prevented him from seeing much time on the field.
So entering training camp, he ended up somewhat behind schedule. And it felt like he was playing catch-up for the entire season. He finished with 28 catches for 294 yards and one touchdown after signing a four-year, $50 million contract that made him tied as the third-highest tight end per year.