The San Francisco 49ers seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach at tight end early in the season, as longtime starter and NFL All-Pro George Kittle recovers from a torn Achilles tendon.
In the grand scheme of things, that might not be the best approach.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes the 49ers should move to sign another veteran tight end to stem the tide while Kittle recovers, calling former Pro Bowler Jonnu Smith a “logical” choice to land in San Francisco.
Smith, 31, signed a 1-year, $12 million contract extension with the Steelers before the 2025 season but was released on March 5 to clear $7 million in salary cap space.
“Tight end Jonnu Smith had a Pro Bowl campaign with the Miami Dolphins in 2024 but was far less effective with the Pittsburgh Steelers this past season,” Knox wrote on August 21. “He caught just 32 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns while sharing reps with Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth. The Steelers released Smith after one year. While the 31-year-old is unlikely to replicate his 2024 production (884 yards, 8 TDs), he’d be a terrific insurance policy for a pass-heavy team with injury concerns at the tight end position. The 49ers could partner Smith with Jake Tonges as George Kittle continues to work his way back from a torn Achilles.”
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Jonnu Smith Firmly in Journeyman State of Career
Smith, 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, was a 3rd-round pick (No. 100 overall) by the Tennessee Titans out of Florida International in the 2017 NFL Draft.
He spent his 1st 4 seasons in Tennessee before he struck it rich with a 4-year, $50 million free-agent contract with the New England Patriots in 2021. He was traded to the Atlanta Falcons after 2 seasons, then signed a 2-year, $8.4 million contract with the Dolphins before the 2024 season and turned in the best year of his career — 88 receptions for 884 yards and 8 touchdowns on the way to earning the lone Pro Bowl nod of his career.
Traded to the Steelers before the 2025 season and automatically signed to the 1-year, $12 million extension, Smith fell flat in his follow-up with just 38 receptions for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns before his release.
One thing Smith has done over his career is be remarkably durable. In 9 NFL seasons, he’s only missed 6 regular-season games, never more than 3 in a single season, and hasn’t missed a regular-season game since 2022.
49ers in Critical ‘Bind’ Waiting on Kittle’s Recovery
San Jose Mercury News NFL reporter Cam Inman believes the 49ers are in a critical “bind” at tight end as they await word on Kittle’s recovery.
Kittle suffered the injury in an upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round — so pretty much the worst possible time in terms of coming back for the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
“(Kittle’s recovery) is the 49ers’ biggest question, and until he is cleared, they are in a bind, entering training camp with essentially the same options from last season,” Inman wrote on July 19. “Less than eight months after his right Achilles ruptured in a wild-card playoff win at Philadelphia, Kittle can take aim at playing in the 49ers’ season opener against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia. But if he opens camp on the (PUP) list and remains there the opening four games, no one would blame the 49ers for protecting their franchise’s most proficient tight end ever.”
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