Packers Sign Jonnu Smith to Patch a Tight-End Room Held Together by Tape
Green Bay added the veteran on a one-year deal Thursday — insurance behind a returning Tucker Kraft and an injured Luke Musgrave.
August 27, 2026 at 3:53 PM EDT
1 min read
The Green Bay Packers signed tight end Jonnu Smith to a one-year deal on Thursday, per ESPN — a depth move for a position that spent last season in the training room.
To be precise about it: this is a signing, not a trade. Smith, 31, was released by Pittsburgh in March after catching 38 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns across 17 games with the Steelers last season. He lands in Green Bay as insurance behind Tucker Kraft, who the team expects back for the opener after tearing his right ACL last November, and around Luke Musgrave, who is working back from a neck injury.
What it means for the offense
Healthy, Kraft is one of the better young tight ends in the league and a real piece of Jordan Love's offense. The problem has been staying healthy — and behind him the cupboard was thin. Smith isn't a difference-maker at this stage, but he's a proven pass-catcher who can hold a role if the injuries that defined Green Bay's tight-end season a year ago show up again.
The market angle
Depth signings like this rarely touch a team total on their own. Where they matter is optionality: an offense that can survive a tight-end injury without cratering is one whose season-long number is a little sturdier than a paper-thin room would be. It's a floor move, not a ceiling move — and floors are what get overlooked in August.