Smith spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in all 17 games but catching just 38 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
His best season came a year earlier with the Miami Dolphins, when he set career highs with 88 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns, earning his lone Pro Bowl selection.
Green Bay Needed The Help
The Packers have been thin at tight end all offseason.
Starter Tucker Kraft is working back from ACL surgery but is expected to be ready for the September 13 opener at Minnesota, while backup Luke Musgrave has remained sidelined since suffering a neck injury during June minicamp and hasn't returned to practice all camp.
Behind Musgrave, the team's most experienced option was Josh Whyle, with 2025 practice-squad call-up Drake Dabney having appeared in just two career NFL games.
🚨🚨 BREAKING: The #Packers are signing 1Pro-Bowl TE Jonnu Smith to a 1-year deal ✍️
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) August 27, 2026
Musgrave could be headed for the physically unable to perform list to open the season, since a neck injury lingering this deep into camp typically points to a longer absence.
A Well-Traveled Veteran
Smith, 31, was a third-round pick in 2017 and has appeared in 141 games with 91 starts across five organizations: the Titans, Patriots, Falcons, Dolphins, and Steelers.
He's caught 345 passes for 3,529 yards and 30 touchdowns for his career and hasn't missed a game since 2022, playing all 17 in each of the past three seasons.
Packers signing TE Jonnu Smith to one-year deal. (via @adamschefter) pic.twitter.com/8GNJFHrjSu
— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2026
Green Bay will be his sixth NFL team, and as a vested veteran, his salary becomes guaranteed if he's on the roster for Week 1, giving the Packers a couple of weeks to evaluate the fit before that number locks in.
