The Green Bay Packers signed veteran tight end Jonnu Smith to a one-year contract, addressing what had become one of the most glaring depth issues on the roster heading into the 2026 regular season. The move proves general manager Brian Gutekunst remains balanced between player development and finding short-term solutions when the roster demands it.

The tight end problem

Green Bay had a tight end problem dating back to the start of the offseason. Gutekunst acknowledged after the 2026 NFL Draft that he wanted to address the position but couldn’t because of how the board fell. The Packers gave their young players time to develop throughout training camp, and only now, with the regular season approaching, did they pull the trigger on a veteran addition with a short-term deal.

The best part about this signing is Smith’s familiarity with the system. He played under Matt LaFleur when the Packers head coach was the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator back in 2018. Smith also played extensively with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, both in Tennessee and in Pittsburgh, and ran a similar system with the Miami Dolphins under Mike McDaniel. During his time in Miami, Smith had his most prolific season in terms of yardage and touchdowns. He had 88 receptions, 884 yards, and eight touchdowns two years ago.

Therefore, Jonnu Smith won’t need a long adjustment period to learn the scheme. The Packers know he understands the offensive principles and the language of the offense, which matters when a player joins a team this late in the process. He can be a legitimate receiving weapon for quarterback Jordan Love while also functioning as a reasonable in-line blocker.

That combination is what Green Bay needed at this point. Tucker Kraft is the starting tight end and a rising star, but beyond him, the Packers didn’t have much. Luke Musgrave is a viable receiver but remains on PUP because of a neck injury. It’s unclear if Musgrave will be ready to play by the start of the regular season. The other tight ends on the roster are essentially depth pieces at the bottom of the roster, like Josh Whyle, Drake Dabney, Messiah Swinson, and McCallan Castles, plus Thomas Yassmin, who’s a part of the International Pathway Program.

Best available option for Green Bay

Because the signing happened close to the end of training camp, it won’t affect the development of younger players who got valuable reps over the past several weeks. That’s a perfect type of move for a draft-and-develop organization that still needs to compete now.

Smith is, at this point of the offseason, the best option available on the market. The exact numbers of the deal aren’t known yet, but it’s a short-term contract and certainly not an expensive one. That helps the Packers in the short term without creating long-term cap complications.

Failed experience in Pittsburgh

Smith played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025. When he arrived via trade, that move made a lot of sense for Pittsburgh. Reuniting Smith with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith after his Pro Bowl year in Miami was truly interesting. The Steelers wanted to be physical and run plenty of 12 and 13 personnel with Smith, Pat Freiermuth, and Darnell Washington. On paper it was genius, but in practice it went horribly.

The tight end room began to cannibalize itself as Muth and Smith were stealing targets and receptions from each other, and Washington became a favorite target for Aaron Rodgers. Smith and Rodgers could never find a rhythm, and the lack of chemistry was evident every week. But the problem wasn’t Smith’s inability to play. Arthur Smith was still manufacturing touches for him on plays like TE tosses and jet sweeps because of how athletic he was and likely still is.

Pittsburgh was more of a bad fit than a sign of decline for Smith, and pairing him with Tucker Kraft could make for a great 1-2 punch over the middle of the field for Jordan Love.

Grade: A