New England Patriots Named 'Best Landing Spot' for Pro Bowl TE

The New England Patriots have been named the "best landing spot" for veteran TE Jonnu Smith by NFL analyst Moe Moton of Bleacher Report. 

Smith is currently a free agent. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. 

"Smith would be a more dynamic secondary tight end than Austin Hooper, who caught 21 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns with the team last year," Moton wrote. "The Patriots can pair him with Hunter Henry to field a more productive pass-catching tight end duo in 2026."

Smith appeared in all 17 games last season. He finished with 38 catches for 222 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. 

The 30-year-old Smith has played for the Tennessee Titans, Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and Steelers. He has 345 receptions for 3,529 receiving yards and 30 receiving touchdowns in the NFL.

Adding Smith would give Patriots star QB Drake Maye another weapon to work with. A young QB like Maye can never have enough playmakers. 

Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his passes. Not bad for a second-year QB. 

It's fair to wonder how Maye would have played against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl had he not gotten hurt against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.

It will be fascinating to see whether the Patriots can return to the Super Bowl next season and win it all in Year 2 of the Mike Vrabel era and Year 3 of the Maye era. Maye and Co. have plenty of motivation after losing to Seattle 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.

"I think that's the biggest thing about it: It's humbling. You've got to get back to work. When you're so close and within reach, you want that feeling," Maye said. "Everybody says, 'You'll be back.' It's not that easy. So, we've got to get back to work, and I'm looking forward to trying to prove to myself that we can get back and just have another year to get a chance at it."

The Patriots acquired WR A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Let's see if they listen to Moton and sign Smith next. 

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