Smith tallied 52 receiving yards before his injury
FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith suffered a shoulder injury during the first half of Sunday’s matchup with the New York Jets.
After seeing five targets in the first quarter and another on the opening play of the second, Smith exited the game and headed toward the locker room. The Patriots announced his status as questionable to return.
The Patriots made Smith a focal point of their offense in the early going Sunday. The tight end set up New England’s first touchdown with a 28-yard catch-and-run off a Mac Jones screen pass. He caught two passes for 52 yards before his injury and also carried the ball once for 5 yards.
Smith had recorded just seven catches for 54 yards over the previous four games. His injury left the Patriots with just one active tight end (Hunter Henry), plus fullback Jakob Johnson. Third tight end Devin Asiasi has been a healthy scratch for every game this season.
Patriots safety Devin McCourty, defensive tackle Carl Davis and linebacker Harvey Langi also were injured in the first half of Sunday’s game, as was Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.
UPDATE (2:45 p.m. ET): Smith, Langi and Wilson all were ruled out at the start of the second half.