The Miami Dolphins are entertaining the possibility of trading veteran tight end Jonnu Smith, according to various reports. Smith expressed displeasure over a deal scheduled to pay him $4.8 million this season. The Dolphins responded by searching for a potential trade partner.
Smith is slated to enter a contract year. His two-year agreement with the Dolphins averages $4.2 million per campaign. Smith feels underpaid after recording a career-high 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. He proved to be an outstanding fit in Mike McDaniel’s offense.
Smith was an every-down workhorse in the Dolphins’ offense last season. His skill set should garner significant interest on the trade market given Miami’s apparent unwillingness to rework his contract. We’ve identified three potential landing spots for Smith.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers were immediately linked to Smith and it’s easy to understand why. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has long been Jonnu Smith’s biggest admirer. Arthur Smith was his position coach with the Tennessee Titans in 2017, and then served as his offensive coordinator for three more years (2018-20) in Nashville. He then acquired the dual-threat playmaker in 2023 as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He is now allegedly interested in enjoying a third stint alongside his favorite tight end in the league.
The Steelers are pretty fairly stocked at the position with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington on the roster. This is simply one of those scenarios where the player-team fit is driving interest.
New York Jets
The New York Jets entered the 2025 NFL Draft with a fairly large weakness at tight end. First-year general manager Darren Mougey selected former LSU TE Mason Taylor with the No. 42 overall selection. Taylor is an athletic, well-rounded prospect who projects as a mismatch weapon in the passing game. He’s also competitive at the line of scrimmage when asked to play as an in-line blocker.
Taylor is already the best tight end on the Jets’ roster. Jeremy Ruckert, a 2022 third-round pick, has consistently failed to meet expectations and is now entering a contract year. Adding Smith would remove some of the immediate pressure off Taylor’s shoulders. Starting quarterback Justin Fields and head coach Aaron Glenn would also appreciate having some veteran reliability at the position.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are hoping to take another step forward after finishing 10-7 and qualifying for the playoffs last year. This offseason has been about improving the conditions around sophomore quarterback Bo Nix. The Broncos arguably had the worst tight end in the room last season, and Smith would represent a big-time upgrade.
Adam Trautman was asked to masquerade as a TE1 last season due to his familiarity with head coach Sean Payton. The Broncos wisely acquired Evan Engram this offseason, but he’s always been a catch-first tight end. Trading for Smith would offer Nix another weapon in the passing game, while simultaneously bumping Trautman to a more appropriate spot on the depth chart, and ensuring Engram isn’t asked to in-line block, which is a major weakness in his game.
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