The contract for new Green Bay Packers tight end Jonnu Smith has finally been released, more than a week after he signed with the team. We previously knew it was a one-year deal, but that’s all the information we had.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Smith received a signing bonus of $350,000 to sign with the team. Smith’s game checks (which will fully guarantee this week, as he’s a vested veteran) are worth $1.3 million. On top of that, he can also earn $350,000 in per-game roster bonuses.
In total,
it’s a $2 million deal, if Smith can be on the field for every game this season. Smith’s cap charge will also be $2 million, as his roster bonuses are considered “likely to be earned” by the NFL, since he played all 17 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year.
For perspective, here are the cash earnings that Smith signed up for after his rookie contract:
- 2021: $16.9 million (Patriots)
- 2022: $9.8 million (Patriots)
- 2023: $8.5 million (Falcons)
- 2024: $4.3 million (Dolphins)
- 2025: $9 million (Steelers)
He’s making significantly less than he ever has as a veteran in the NFL.
Head coach Matt LaFleur believes that Smith can hit the ground running in the regular season, not only because Smith previously played for LaFleur with the Tennessee Titans but also because Smith played for Arthur Smith, a former LaFleur assistant in Tennessee, in 2023 (Falcons) and 2025 (Steelers).
Smith was listed as the second-string tight end, ahead of both Josh Whyle and Mark Redman, on their first depth chart of the regular season.
