Jonnu Smith had more important things to do during the New England Patriots’ voluntary organized team activities last offseason. He was a new father. He elected not to join his new team, eventually attending mandatory minicamp, where he suffered a hamstring injury that prevented him from seeing much time on the field.
So entering training camp, he ended up somewhat behind schedule. And it felt like he was playing catch-up for the entire season. He finished with 28 catches for 294 yards and one touchdown after signing a four-year, $50 million contract that made him tied as the third-highest tight end per year. (He is now tied for fifth-most per year.)
“I definitely missed a lot last year,” Smith said on Monday. “Minicamp, I had a thing, so my offseason was choppy. I had some great things like my baby girl being born, and I had some unfortunate setbacks as well. I definitely missed some quality time here, and I recognize how valuable that time is. And I’m just here to take advantage of that.”
