Jonnu Smith turned into quite the pass-catcher after he was traded by the New England Patriots.
Smith, who’s in his first season with Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins, is on pace for the best season of his career. He’s caught 39 of his 52 targets for 448 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games, including a 100-yard performance in Week 11.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo name-dropped Smith as he waxed poetic about the Dolphins before their Week 12 contest at Hard Rock Stadium.
“Jonnu (Smith) is doing a good job and has been coming on as of late as far as his run-after-catch stuff,” Mayo told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, per a team-provided video. “So, doing a good job for them there.”
Smith had his two best seasons after an underwhelming two-year tenure with the Patriots. He was viewed as one of the worst signings of the Bill Belichick era and the Patriots traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for a mere seventh-round pick and cap relief.
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Smith then caught 50 passes for 582 yards and three touchdowns with the Falcons in 17 games. His 2023 season in Atlanta exceeded his two-year production in New England in yards (539) and touchdowns (one). Smith caught 55 balls in 30 games with the Patriots.
The 2017 third-round pick was one of New England’s big signings during its 2021 free-agency splurge.
At least the Patriots signed tight end Hunter Henry that week, too.
