Hunter Henry excited to see Jonnu Smith break out, says ‘he’s going to come on’

New England Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith hasn’t quite lived up to his four-year, $50 million contract yet.

Smith is currently fifth on the team in receptions (15) and receiving yards (115) — both behind his counterpart Hunter Henry (20 receptions, 216 yards). He had a shaky game against the New Orleans Saints where he had a couple drops, one of which led to a pick-six that likely ended the game.

One thing that Smith prides himself on is his work ethic and he’s confidently stated that since joining the Patriots. Henry sees the work Smith has put in and that’s why he believes a breakout moment is on the horizon.

“He’s going to come on,” Henry said, transcribed by WEEI. “I’m excited to see him break out. … He works extremely hard at what he does, so I think he’s going to continue to keep coming.”

On top of being a hard worker, Smith also is a fun person to be around in the locker room — which can be an extremely important factor.

“He’s a stud, man,” Henry said. “He’s fun to be around. Works his tail off and there’s a lot of competition in the room. Always trying to compete with each other — against our guys and on the field. I think it’s a healthy room where we’re always trying to better ourselves, communicate better. So those things are continuing to improve.”

The Patriots have a tough matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6 and they’ll need all the help they can get from the tight end group.