Jonnu Smith released by Falcons less than 3 years after signing monster contract with Patriots

BOSTON -- The New England Patriots gave Jonnu Smith a gigantic deal in free agency back in 2021. Three years later, the tight end is looking for his third team since signing that pact.

Smith, whom the Patriots traded to the Falcons last offseason, was released by Atlanta on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

New England signed Smith to a four-year, $50 million contract during the team's spending spree in 2021. The deal included a whopping $31 million in guaranteed money, as the Patriots tried to revamp their offense in the post-Tom Brady era.

But Smith did not live up to that contract, as he caught just 28 passes for one touchdown in his first season with the team. His output got worse in 2022, as Smith caught just 27 passes (on 38 targets) for 245 yards (his lowest total since his rookie season) and zero touchdowns.

After he had just 55 receptions in his 31 games with the team, the Pats cut bait with Smith ahead of last season to clear some cap space. He was traded to Atlanta, and while New England received just a seventh-round pick in return, the Falcons picked up the rest of his guaranteed money in the swap.

Smith did have a nice bounce-back season for the Falcons, hauling in 50 receptions for 582 yards, three touchdowns, and a career-high 26 first downs. But the Falcons will save $6.5 million toward the cap with Tuesday's release, and now Smith will be looking for a new team.