The New England Patriots reworked tight end Jonnu Smith’s contract to clear cap space, ESPN reported Friday.
By converting $7.965 million of his base salary into a bonus, the team created $5.31 million in 2022 in cap space.
The Patriots signed Smith in March 2021 to a four-year, $50 million deal with $31.25 million fully guaranteed.
Before the move, New England was about $1.5 million over the 2022 salary cap, according to Overthecap.com.
Smith, 27, caught 28 passes for 294 yards and one touchdown in 16 games (11 starts) with the Pats in 2021.
He has 142 receptions for 1,596 yards and 17 scores in 76 games (64 starts) with the Tennessee Titans (2017-20) and New England.
The Patriots open the season at Miami on Sept. 11.
–Field Level Media