{"id":52087,"date":"2025-05-30T01:30:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T01:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52087"},"modified":"2025-05-30T01:30:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T01:30:08","slug":"dolphins-steelers-engaged-in-conversations-about-a-trade-centered-around-jonnu-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52087","title":{"rendered":"Dolphins, Steelers engaged in conversations about a trade centered around Jonnu Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"

3:45pm:\u00a0<\/strong>Smith isn\u2019t the only offensive playmaker about whom the Steelers have inquired. The team has has \u201cpreliminary conversations\u201d with multiple teams as they search for another weapon alongside Metcalf,\u00a0p<\/a>er Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Schultz\u2019s report indicates that Pittsburgh will complete a trade in the coming months. After adding a third-rounder in the Pickens trade, the team now has eight selections in the 2026 NFL Draft with the potential to add four more via the compensatory pick system.<\/p>\n

2:06pm:\u00a0<\/strong>The Dolphins and the Steelers are exploring a trade that would send tight end\u00a0Jonnu Smith<\/strong>\u00a0to Pittsburgh,\u00a0according to ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter.<\/p>\n

The trade talks stem from Smith\u2019s desire for a new contract. He arrived in Miami on a two-year, $8.4MM last offseason and quickly outplayed his value with the best receiving numbers of his career and his first Pro Bowl selection. Smith led the Dolphins with 88 catches and eight receiving touchdowns, and his 884 receiving yards trailed only\u00a0Tyreek Hill<\/strong>. Those numbers were also the best of any tight end in franchise history.<\/p>\n

Smith is set to earn $4.1MM this year with additional money available via incentives,\u00a0per OverTheCap, a bargain relative to his recent production. However, 2024 was his first year with more than 35 yards per game, so the Dolphins may not want to overpay for what could be an outlier season.<\/p>\n

Enter the Steelers, who remade their pass-catching corps this season by trading for\u00a0D.K. Metcalf<\/strong>\u00a0and sending\u00a0George Pickens<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 their leading receiver since 2022 \u2013 to the Cowboys. Pittsburgh did sign 2021 second-round tight end\u00a0Pat Freiermuth\u00a0<\/strong>to a four-year extension last September, but Smith was the more productive player in 2024. He ranked fifth among all tight ends with 1.95 yards per route run, while Freiermuth\u2019s 1.42 YPRR ranked 20th, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Steelers\u2019 lack of WR depth may encourage them to invest in another tight end, especially one who is so familiar with offensive coordinator\u00a0Arthur Smith<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Arthur Smith was the Titans\u2019 tight ends coach when they drafted Jonnu Smith in the third-round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The former FIU standout started 25 games across his first two years, largely as a blocker, but became a bigger part of the passing game once Arthur Smith took over as offensive coordinator in 2019. Jonnu Smith started 28 games over the next two years, catching 76 of his 109 targets for 887 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. That earned him a four-year, $50MM contract with the Patriots, while Arthur Smith was hired as the Falcons\u2019 head coach.<\/p>\n

An underwhelming two years in New England led to Jonnu Smith\u2019s release during the 2023 offseason. He reunited with Arthur Smith on a two-year, $15MM deal in Atlanta, where he posted career-highs with 50 receptions and 582 receiving yards in 2023. Despite his performance, Jonnu Smith was released after the season, likely because of Arthur Smith\u2019s firing. Now, the two could be on the verge of another reunion that would allow the veteran coach to use his trademark two tight end formations.<\/p>\n

However, Jonnu Smith would prefer to remain in Miami with a revised contract, per Schefter. If the Dolphins are unwilling to commit to him past this season, the two sides could find a middle ground via an increased salary, some new guarantees, and\/or additional incentives to raise Smith\u2019s earning potential.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

3:45pm:\u00a0Smith isn\u2019t the only offensive playmaker about whom the Steelers have inquired. The team has has \u201cpreliminary conversations\u201d with multiple teams as they search for another weapon… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nDolphins, Steelers engaged in conversations about a trade centered around Jonnu Smith - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52087\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dolphins, Steelers engaged in conversations about a trade centered around Jonnu Smith - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"3:45pm:\u00a0Smith isn\u2019t the only offensive playmaker about whom the Steelers have inquired. 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