Jonnu Smith Wants To Remain With Dolphins
Jonnu Smith became the subject of trade talk last week when a report of Steelers interest emerged. While a swap remains something to watch for, the veteran tight end’s preference would be to remain in Miami. 
During his usual Sunday WSVN appearance, Smith’s agent Drew Rosenhaus spoke about Smith’s situation. 2024 resulted in a career high across the board for Smith (884 yards, eight touchdowns on 88 receptions). In the wake of that production – the most in a season by any Dolphins tight end – an extension is being sought. One year remains on the Pro Bowler’s current deal.
“Jonnu would definitely like to stay in Miami,” Rosenhaus said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “That’s his first choice. This is where he lives in the offseason… His dream team is the Dolphins. Hopefully, everything works out where he can stay in Miami.”
Smith is currently owed $4.09MM in 2025, but an extension agreement would no doubt include a raise if one were to be worked out. Depending on how negotiations on that front go, however, the possibility of a trade could increase based on interest from outside teams. It came as no surprise when Pittsburgh emerged as a potential landing spot based on the presence of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The two worked together in Tennessee and again in Atlanta, so a Steelers acquisition would mark another reunion between player and coach.
Pittsburgh’s tight end depth chart is already topped by Pat Freiermuth, though, and he is on the books for another four years. Adding Smith via trade (and then, presumably, extending him) could be problematic as a result. It will be interesting to see if other suitors show interest in Smith, 29, as a starting-caliber addition late in the offseason.
In the meantime, Miami has a number of other low-cost tight end options. Pharaoh Brown is a veteran of 87 games, but he has never operated as a focal point in a team’s passing game like Smith did in 2024. The rest of the Dolphins’ TE depth chart consists of Julian Hill, Hayden Rucci and Jalin Conyers; each member of that trio entered the league as an undrafted free agent, meaning expectations will be low for whichever ones wind up earning a roster spot this summer. An opening would be created in the event Smith were to be traded, but his preference would be to avoid such a move.
Dolphins, Steelers Exploring Jonnu Smith Trade; TE Seeking New Contract
10:27pm: Smith isn’t the only offensive playmaker about whom the Steelers have inquired. The team has has “preliminary conversations” with multiple teams as they search for another weapon alongside Metcalf, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Schultz’s 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.
2:06pm: The Dolphins and the Steelers are exploring a trade that would send tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The trade talks stem from Smith’s 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 Tyreek Hill. Those numbers were also the best of any tight end in franchise history.
Smith is set to earn $4.1MM this year with additional money available via incentives, per 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.
Enter the Steelers, who remade their pass-catching corps this season by trading for D.K. Metcalf and sending George Pickens – their leading receiver since 2022 – to the Cowboys. Pittsburgh did sign 2021 second-round tight end Pat Freiermuth 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’s 1.42 YPRR ranked 20th, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Steelers’ lack of WR depth may encourage them to invest in another tight end, especially one who is so familiar with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Arthur Smith was the Titans’ 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’ head coach.
An underwhelming two years in New England led to Jonnu Smith’s 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’s 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.
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’s earning potential.
Extra Points: Hill, Watson, Prescott
Following Tyreek Hill‘s detainment before yesterday’ game, Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 South Florida released the bodycam footage from Miami-Dade Police. The release of the video follows a statement by the Miami-Dade Police earlier today in which they said that Hill was not immediately cooperative with officers (per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com).
The video shows that Hill was initially pulled over for speeding while approaching Hard Rock Stadium. After the Dolphins wide receiver was pulled over, he was asked to keep his window down. As ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques and Xuan Thai detail, the “incident escalated when Hill didn’t comply.”
After exiting his vehicle, Hill was grabbed “by the back of the head and neck area” and forced to the pavement before being placed in handcuffs. After being walked to the sidewalk, Hill was forced to the ground again after not immediately complying to an officer’s demand to sit down, with the wideout citing recent knee surgery.
The footage also shows the police tensely interacting with tight end Jonnu Smith, who parked about 25 feet away from Hill. Smith “was ultimately given a citation.” Defensive lineman Calais Campbell can also be seen in the footage approaching police with his arms raised.
Following the release of the footage, the Miami Dolphins released a statement. While the organization lauded the release of the video and acknowledged their relationship with the Miami-Dade Police, they also requested “swift and strong action against the officers who engaged in such despicable behavior.” Per Armando Salguero of Outkick.com, the officer at the center of the video “was placed on administrative duties” and has hired a lawyer.
More notes from around the NFL…
- Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is facing a new civil lawsuit claiming him of sexual assault and battery during an incident in October 2020, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. Watson “sexually assaulted the woman for several minutes” before storming out of her apartment. Watson was previously accused of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct by more than two dozen women. He avoided criminal charges but was served an 11-game suspension after the league and the NFL Players Association reached a settlement. Watson settled 23 of his 24 civil lawsuits, and this latest suit joins the one remaining civil suit from 2022. An NFL spokesperson declined comment when asked about the matter, per Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS.
- Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com has the details on Dak Prescott‘s new contract with the Cowboys. The four-year, $240MM extension features an $80MM signing bonus and $129MM guaranteed at signing. The quarterback will have another $40MM guaranteed next March, and another $45MM will be guaranteed the following March. The deal also includes a no-trade clause, a no-franchise tag clause, and a no-transition tag clause.
- The NFL sent a memo to more than 20 players and their respective teams before Week 1, warning the players that they could face suspensions if they violated the safety and sportsmanship policies. While the players’ identities weren’t revealed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the individuals “have been penalized and scrutinized in the past,” with all of the players having been suspended over the past two years for on-the-field incidents.
Free Agency Notes: Giants, Vikings, Jets, Hawks, Huff, Commanders, Ekeler, Raiders, Dolphins, Jacobs, Rams
The Bryce Huff market did not reach the level of Jonathan Greenard‘s, and Danielle Hunter also scored a better guarantee compared to the Jets‘ contract-year breakout pass rusher. But the Eagles needed to give Huff a three-year, $51.1MM deal with $34MM guaranteed. That came about because, per Huff, the Commanders, Giants, Seahawks and Vikings joined the Jets in pursuing him. The Jets had expressed interest in keeping the former UDFA, who led the team in sacks last season, but their 2023 Will McDonald draft choice appeared to point Huff elsewhere.
Minnesota came in early with its Greenard signing (four years, $76MM, $38MM fully guaranteed), while Washington turned to one of Dan Quinn‘s ex-Cowboys charges — Dorance Armstrong — soon after. The Giants made a bigger splash hours later by trading for Brian Burns, in a deal that involved a second-rounder going to the Panthers and fifth-rounders being swapped, while the Seahawks devoted their funding to fortifying their interior D-line (via the Leonard Williams deal). Huff, 26, led the NFL in pressure rate last season but was not used as a full-time D-end. It should be expected the Eagles, who have Haason Reddick in trade rumors, will up Huff’s usage.
Here is the latest free agency fallout:
- As Lloyd Cushenberry and Andre James scored nice contracts, the center market has not seen Connor Williams come off the board. It should be a while on that front. Rehabbing an ACL tear, Williams is not expected to sign anywhere anytime soon, agent Drew Rosenahus said during a WSVP interview (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson). Williams going down in Week 14 certainly has impacted his market. Pro Football Focus graded the two-year Dolphins blocker as a top-five center in each of his two Miami seasons. Ahead of his age-27 season, the ex-Cowboys draftee will probably need to show teams he is healthy or on track to full strength before a deal commences.
- The Raiders lost their starting running back in free agency, seeing Josh Jacobs join the Packers. Zamir White is tentatively in place as Las Vegas’ starter, but the now-Tom Telesco-run club did show interest in Austin Ekeler, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Telesco was with the Chargers when they signed Ekeler as a UDFA and when they extended him, but the GM did not greenlight a second extension last year. That led to trade rumors and a small incentive package. Ekeler signed a two-year, $8.43MM Commanders deal, indicating (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala) the NFC East team showed the most interest. Despite leading the NFL in TDs in 2021 and 2022, Ekeler received only $4.2MM fully guaranteed — ninth among FA backs this year.
- As for Jacobs, his guarantee fell well short of Saquon Barkley‘s and shy of the Bears’ commitment to D’Andre Swift. The Packers signed Jacobs to a four-year, $48MM deal, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes only the $12.5MM signing bonus is guaranteed (plus a $1.2MM 2024 salary). Beyond 2024, this is a pay-as-you-go deal. Jacobs is due a $5.93MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year, creating a pivotal date for Green Bay’s backfield. The Packers are known for shying away from guarantees beyond Year 1, in most instances, but it is interesting to see the gap between guarantees Barkley could secure ($26MM) and Jacobs’ locked-in money.
- The gap between Xavier McKinney‘s Packers deal and the Rams‘ two-year Kamren Curl pact ended up wider than the aforementioned RBs. Curl agreed to a $9MM accord, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. Curl, 25, has two seasons to show he can command a more lucrative contract. But McKinney (four years, $68MM) showed how valuable an age-25 offseason can be for earning power, making the Curl contract look quite Rams-friendly.
- Jonnu Smith‘s two-year Dolphins deal came in at $8.4MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Miami will guarantee the former Tennessee, New England and Atlanta tight end $3.96MM. No guarantees are present beyond 2024, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Miami’s three-year Jordyn Brooks accord lands slightly lower than initially reported, with Wilson adding the ex-Seattle linebacker signed for $26.25MM. Brooks’ contract features $16MM guaranteed; just $9.5MM of that sum is guaranteed at signing.
Dolphins, TE Jonnu Smith Agree To Deal
After making a number of cost-shedding moves recently, the Dolphins are set to make an addition on offense. Miami has reached agreement on a deal with tight end Jonnu Smith, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
The contract – which Schefter notes is for two years and has a maximum value of $10MM – comes as little surprise. Smith visited Miami earlier this week, pointing to an agreement being in the cards. Now, the parties have worked out an arrangement which will see the 28-year-old join a fourth career team.
The Falcons released Smith last month, a move which freed up cap space and gave him a head start on free agency. Atlanta traded for the former third-rounder in part to reunite him with then-head coach Arthur Smith. With the latter out of the picture, Jonnu Smith was allowed to find a new home before the start of free agency. Expectations for him will be relatively high in South Beach.
Smith posted a career high in catches (50) and yards (582) in 2023, adding three touchdowns along the way. Considering the presence of fellow tight end Kyle Pitts and the struggles the team endured under center, those figures will have impressed the Dolphins and any other suitors Smith may have had in the event he remained unsigned through to next week. Miami had a need at the TE spot, and his ability both in the passing game and as a run blocker will be welcomed in Mike McDaniel‘s scheme.
Durham Smythe led the way in terms of production at the position last season (35 catches, 366 yards) on an offense dominated by wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the passing game. That duo will no doubt remain a focal point moving forward, but Smith’s skillset could provide a better replacement for former starter Mike Gesicki after he struggled under McDaniel in 2022.
Miami entered Thursday roughly $20MM over the cap ceiling not long before the start of free agency. All teams must be cap compliant by March 13, and further moves will be needed to reach that point in the coming days (although savings will later come into play given the pending release of cornerback Xavien Howard). Smith will add to the Dolphins’ cap sheet in 2024 and ’25, but his addition could be an effective one as the team looks to replicate its offensive success from last season.
Dolphins Host TE Jonnu Smith
The Dolphins finished last season as the only team in the NFL to not have a tight end catch a touchdown. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that they’re eyeing one of the more intriguing names on the market. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Dolphins hosted free agent tight end Jonnu Smith today. The two sides are “said to be in contract negotiations,” per Schefter.
Smith made a name for himself in Tennessee, where he was a third-round pick by the Titans in 2017. He had a standout 2020 campaign, hauling in 41 receptions for 448 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He parlayed that performance into a four-year, $50MM deal with the Patriots in 2021, but he disappointed during his stint in New England.
With the Patriots having added Hunter Henry that same offseason and the team opting for rookie Mac Jones under center, Smith struggled to carve out a role. Through his two seasons in New England, Smith was limited to only 55 catches for 539 yards and one touchdown.
The Patriots managed to find a trade for the veteran last offseason, sending Smith to the Falcons for a seventh-round pick. The tight end had one of the most productive seasons of his career while in Atlanta, finishing the 2023 campaign with career highs in receptions (50) and receiving yards (582). Pro Football Focus ended up grading him 38th among 72 qualifying tight ends, with the site giving him a particularly high grade for his pass-blocking ability. Smith was cut by the Falcons last month, allowing him to start negotiating with teams immediately.
Smith would be an intriguing option for the Dolphins. The organization failed to replace Mike Gesicki‘s production after the tight end left for New England last offseason. Durham Smythe ended up seeing the majority of the snaps at tight end in 2023, finishing with 35 catches for 366 yards. The team also gave Julian Hill a significant look, although the tight end only finished the season with six receptions. Smythe, Hill, and Tanner Conner are under contract for the 2024 campaign.
Mike McDaniel hasn’t leaned much on tight ends through his first two seasons as head coach in Miami, although that was partly due to personnel. Still, Smith could provide Tua Tagovailoa with a big target in the end zone.
Falcons To Release TE Jonnu Smith
A 2023 trade reunited Jonnu Smith with then-Falcons HC Arthur Smith. With a new coaching staff in Atlanta, the Falcons will move on from the veteran tight end.
For a second straight offseason, Smith will be changing teams. The Falcons will release the seventh-year veteran, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Smith enjoyed a productive 2023 season and will certainly generate interest on the market. This will be his first time in free agency since 2021.
Smith totaled career-high numbers in receptions (50) and receiving yards (582) last season, adding three touchdowns in what was again a low-wattage Falcons passing attack. With Arthur Smith now in Pittsburgh and Zac Robinson set to call plays in Atlanta, the Falcons will move on from their experienced Kyle Pitts sidekick.
The Falcons will pick up $6.5MM in cap space by making this cut, which will push their total to nearly $40MM. The team had reworked Smith’s contract upon acquiring him last year and stands to gain a chunk of cap room as a result of making him a one-and-done in Atlanta.
Pitts remains tied to his rookie deal, though the former No. 4 overall pick is now extension-eligible. By picking up Pitts’ fifth-year option, the Falcons can extend his rookie contract through 2025. With Pitts being a one-time Pro Bowler, it will cost the Falcons $10.88MM to exercise the option.
Pitts and Smith formed one of the NFL’s top tight end tandems last season, combining to catch 103 passes for more than 1,200 yards. Smith finished the season as the Falcons’ third-leading receiver — behind Drake London and Pitts — and bounced back from his Patriots seasons. After commanding a lucrative deal as a free agent in 2021, Smith did not exceed 300 receiving yards in either of his two New England seasons alongside Hunter Henry.
Jonnu Smith did eclipse 400 yards in each of Arthur Smith’s two seasons as Titans OC. The Steelers rostering Pat Freiermuth and third-round pick Darnell Washington makes another reunion harder to envision, but given the success the 28-year-old pass catcher has achieved on the play-caller’s watch, it would seemingly not be out of the question.
Falcons To Acquire TE Jonnu Smith From Patriots
The Patriots have moved on from one of their big-ticket tight end acquisitions of 2021. Jonnu Smith is being traded to the Falcons for a seventh-round pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Smith made himself one of the top free agents of the 2021 class at the position after the four-year start to his career in Tennessee. As part of their unusually aggressive approach on the open market that offseason, New England inked him to a four-year, $50MM contract. They also splurged on fellow tight end Hunter Henry, something the team may have come to regret.
The former had an underwhelming tenure with New England, scoring just one touchdown in 30 games. He registered 539 yards on 55 catches, totals which were far lower than expected given his success in Tennessee. Now, this move will reunite him with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith (who was the Titans’ offensive coordinator during his time there). It will also save the Patriots roughly $4.4MM in cap space.
Smith’s deal was restructured in September, which upped his 2023 cap hit to $17.2MM. Per multiple reports, the Falcons will look to re-work his contract once again upon arrival to make it more team-friendly. Smith, 27, is currently on the books through 2024. He will look to rediscover his Titans form while working with a familiar coach in Atlanta, while also giving the Falcons a strong blocking tight end to complement the pass-catching skills of Kyle Pitts.
For New England, this move marks a disappointing end to Smith’s addition two years ago. They will now focus on retaining Henry, who has racked up 1,112 yards and 11 touchdowns in his two Patriots campaigns. The former Charger has one year remaining on his deal, which includes a cap hit of $15.5MM. That figure could hinder the team’s efforts to add more productive receivers (regardless of if they are able to keep Jakobi Meyers in the fold), though the cap savings from this deal will give them some added flexibility. A replacement for Smith can likely be found in the draft, which is said to include a number of high-end options at the TE spot this year.
Patriots Rework TE Jonnu Smith’s Contract
The Patriots reworked Jonnu Smith‘s contract yesterday, opening a chunk of cap space. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Patriots converted $7.96MM of the tight end’s base salary into a bonus, creating an extra $5.31MM in cap space. This move now gives the Patriots more than $8.8MM in cap space.
Thanks to the restructured deal, Smith’s cap hit will increase by $2.655MM in both 2023 and 2024, giving him a $17.4MM cap hit in 2023 and a $18.4MM cap hit in 2024 (h/t to Miguel Benzan on Twitter). If the Patriots were to cut Smith before June 2, 2023, they’d be left with more than $19MM in dead cap, and they’d be left with $12.8MM in dead cap following a trade.
In other words, the Patriots are indicating that Smith will likely be sticking around beyond the 2022 season. This is a bit surprising after the tight end disappointed during his first season in New England. After hauling in eight touchdowns for the Titans in 2020, Smith inked a four-year, $50MM deal last offseason. He struggled throughout the 2021 campaign, finishing with only 28 receptions for 294 yards and one score.
Reports out of Patriots camp have noted that Smith looks more comfortable during his second training camp and preseason. After the Patriots committed only 18 percent of their offensive snaps to two tight end sets in 2021, we could see Smith play a larger role alongside Hunter Henry in 2022.
Bengals Make Three Waiver Claims
SEPTEMBER 2: To no surprise, the Bengals are indeed re-signing Allen, Thomas and Williams now that they have the open roster spots to do so, per a team announcement. Cincinnati is also placing safety Tycen Anderson and tackle Isaiah Prince on IR.
AUGUST 31: The Bengals have made some notable additions in the aftermath of yesterday’s roster cutdowns. Per the waiver wire, they have claimed tight end Devin Asiasi, guard Max Scharping and defensive tackle Jay Tufele.
[RELATED: Bengals Expected To Sign TE Howard]
Asiasi came to New England with significant expectations, given his draft status and the organization’s success at the position. The third-rounder made just 10 appearances in his first two seasons, though, recording only a pair of receptions. The Patriots made a substantial free agent investment in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith last offseason, limiting his future with the team. In Cincinnati, he will face steep competition for playing time from Hayden Hurst and, in all likelihood, O.J. Howard.
Scharping is in a similar situation to Asiasi in terms of being an underwhelming high draft choice yet to finish their rookie contract. A 2019 second-rounder, the 26-year-old started 33 of the 48 contests he appeared in with the Texans, moving from the left to right guard spot this past season. Regardless of where he lined up, the Northern Illinois alum graded out in the mid-to-high 50s with respect to PFF rating, leaving him on the roster bubble. Scharping’s vacated spot is likely to be filled by A.J. Cann; he will challenge for a backup role behind top free agent addition Alex Cappa with the Bengals.
Tufele, meanwhile, has seen the least playing time of the new trio. As a rookie last season, he made just four appearances in Jacksonville, totaling two tackles. His PFF pass rush grade of 77 indicates some upside on third downs, which dates back to his time in college. Moving on from the USC alum so soon may have come as a surprise, though the additions of Folorunso Fatukasi and Adam Gotsis along the d-line were likely to significantly lessen his chance of seeing significant playing time with the Jaguars. The Bengals lost Larry Ogunjobi in free agency, but re-upped B.J. Hill, whom Tufele will look to provide depth behind his new home.
The defending AFC champions will return many of the members of last season’s team, but these additions could prove effective at areas of relative need. Among the cuts necessary to accommodate the new arrivals is veteran quarterback Brandon Allen. The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal for the third consecutive offseason to remain in Cincinnati.
For now, Allen’s departure leaves the Bengals with only Joe Burrow under center. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets, however, that Allen “will be back.” Cincinnati is also parting ways with safety Michael Thomas and running back Trayveon Williams.