Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons trade for veteran tight end Jonnu Smith

Jonnu Smith caught a touchdown pass for the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. A fan trying to catch a free T-shirt was critically injured when he fells from the stands.

Credit: Frederick Breedon

Credit: Frederick Breedon

Jonnu Smith caught a touchdown pass for the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. A fan trying to catch a free T-shirt was critically injured when he fells from the stands.
By
Updated March 13, 2023

The Falcons acquired veteran tight end Jonnu Smith in a trade with the Patriots on Monday.

The Falcons sent a seventh-round pick (245th overall) to get Smith, who was originally selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He’ll be reunited with Falcons coach Arthur Smith, the former offensive coordinator of the Titans.

The 6-foot-3, 248 pound Smith had career highs in receptions (41) and touchdowns (eight) in 2020 with Arthur Smith running the Tennessee offense. The Patriots signed Smith to a four-year, $50 million deal before the 2021 season and caught 28 passes in 2021 and 27 in 2022.

The trade for Jonnu Smith was made with Mycole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser set to become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday. The Falcons re-signed tight end Parker Hesse, who was an exclusive rights free agent.

The news of Smith’s trade was first reported by the NFL media.

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Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.

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