The New England Patriots reportedly made Jonnu Smith one of the NFL's highest-paid tight ends Monday. And Smith plans on earning his money.
After agreeing to a four-year, $50 million contract with the Patriots in free agency, the 25-year-old shared a straightforward message to his new team on Twitter.
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Smith doubled down on that message via his Instagram story while responding to a warm welcome from Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman.
Sounds like Smith is ready to get down to business.
The former Tennessee Titans tight end is an exciting pickup for a Patriots team that has sorely lacked depth at the position since Rob Gronkowski left New England after the 2018 season.
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Smith has improved his receiving stats every year since the Titans drafted him in the third round out of Florida International in 2017, and he tallied a career-high eight touchdowns (seven receiving, one rushing) for Tennessee last season while finishing as the team's third-leading receiver.
Smith projects as the Patriots' clear No. 1 tight end, leading a group that includes Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo and second-years Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi. It appears he has the right mentality heading to New England, where the Patriots will have a chip on their shoulders after their first losing season since 2000.