The Green Bay Packers are making an addition at tight end before the start of the 2026 regular season. According to reporting from Jordan Schultz on Thursday, the Packers are signing veteran Jonnu Smith -- who played last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers -- to a one-year deal.
Why are the Packers making this move, and what does it mean for the team's tight end position moving forward?
Breaking down the decision to sign Smith as the preseason nears its conclusion:
-- Backup Luke Musgrave remains on the PUP list -- where he started training camp -- because of an undisclosed neck injury. Signing Smith now could be a sign that the Packers believe his neck injury is going to be a long-term issue. At the very least, it means Musgrave isn't close to a return
and won't be ready for Week 1.
-- The backups behind Musgrave and Tucker Kraft have been underwhelming. Josh Whyle might be a fine third or fourth option, but going into a season with him as the primary backup is a risk, especially with Kraft coming off a major injury. Drake Dabney has run with the starters during camp, but he hasn't grasped the opportunity for a bigger role. The same goes for Messiah Swinson, another young, inexperienced player. Signing Smith is a sure sign that the Packers weren't happy with the development of the three behind Kraft this summer. And the guess here is that the chances of Dabney or Swinson making the 53-man roster come Sunday just plummeted to near zero, although both are terrific options for the practice squad.
-- What are the Packers getting in Smith, who recently turned 31 years old? A versatile receiving weapon. He won't be a consistent winner as a blocker, but Smith runs well and has 345 career catches and 30 receiving touchdowns over nine NFL seasons. Matt LaFleur, who had Smith in Tennessee in 2018, will know his versatility; Smith can line up inline, in the slot or in the backfield. As a classic move tight end, Smith is an easy fit in LaFleur's scheme.
-- Smith certainly doesn't help as a true "Y" tight end. He isn't a people mover as a blocker and is best suited for a H-back receiving role. It's possible this isn't the last move the Packers make at tight end before the Week 1 roster is set.
-- The Packers will hope Smith is closer to his 2024 season than 2025. In Miami in 2024, Smith caught 88 passes and scored eight times with Mike McDaniel as his playcaller. Last season, Smith turned 38 catches into only 222 yards and two scores over 345 routes run. A long-time YAC threat, Smith averaged 4.8 yards after the catch in 2025, his lowest since 2022.
-- Does Smith help on special teams? Most likely not. He has only 288 career snaps on special teams and hasn't played more than 50 in a season since 2022. Most backup tight ends contribute something on special teams, but Smith isn't likely to be one of them in 2026.
-- The Packers will have a couple of weeks to determine if they want Smith on the Week 1 roster. As a vested veteran, Smith's salary will guarantee if he's with the Packers for Week 1. His salary won't be big, but it's something to monitor for the next couple of weeks.
Some 2025 Jonnu Smith pic.twitter.com/fmB3oflCBY
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) August 27, 2026
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Why are the Packers signing veteran TE Jonnu Smith?
