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The New England Patriots signed tight end Jonnu Smith as part of their free agent spending spree this past spring. The Patriots have been trying to find a big tight end since the departure of Rob Gronkowski a few seasons ago.
Patriots tight ends were ranked among the worst in the since Gronkowski's departure and the Patriots subsequently signed Smith and Hunter Henry to address the issue.
Jonnu Smith has been dealing with a shoulder injury the last few weeks and missed the Week 10 game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon.
Why is Jonnu Smith questionable?
New England Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith has been dealing with a shoulder injury the last few weeks. He was listed as questionable last week and ended up being inactive for Sunday's game in which the Patriots won big over the Browns.
Hunter Henry had more reps in his absence and had two touchdowns for the Patriots.
Smith has been limited throughout this week as he continues to nurse the shoulder injury.
What happened to Jonnu Smith?
Jonnu Smith's shoulder injury has been a lingering issue for the last few weeks. But it was last week when Smith was listed as out against the Browns that it apparently became even more bothersome.
The shoulder injury could be the reason for Smith's lack of production the last few weeks. Smith has just 21 receptions, 193 yards and one touchdown so far this season through the nine games he has played.
The Patriots offense has tried using him in the backfield as well, which has been a bit more productive.
In his absence, tight end Matt LaCosse was elevated from the practice squad.
How long is Jonnu Smith out?
Considering that Jonnu Smith did miss last week's game against the Cleveland Browns, there is a chance that he may miss tonight's game against the Atlanta Falcons because it is a short week.
But there was good news considering Smith's status for Thursday night as he did travel with the team to Atlanta on Wednesday. As of Thursday morning, Jonnu Smith is still listed as questionable, giving him a 50/50 chance to take the field tonight at this point.
As the New England Patriots continue to get better, Smith's production should see an uptick, with rookie quarterback Mac Jones getting him more targets.
