Tight end Jonnu Smith does not have many nice things to say about the Miami Dolphins after they traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday.
Smith was traded, along with cornerback Jalen Ramsey, to the Steelers for cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick. In an appearance on Terron Armstead’s podcast, Smith said he had no ill feelings toward the Dolphins’ organization, but was “stung” by their unwillingness to give him a new contract.
“Going through that process, I was hurt,” Smith said, via Coral Smith of NFL.com. “I didn’t think that collectively — as an organization, players, coaches — I didn’t think that [they believed] trading Jonnu Smith, that’s where our success starts.
“Eventually it came a point and time when they told me that they just can’t do it, it wasn’t economically able to put me in a position to be paid like a Pro Bowl tight end. And that one stung, and we tried to figure it out and we just couldn’t. … I had to make the decision to say, man, well I’ve got to go where I am appreciated and viewed on paper, economically, contract-wise as a top guy in this league which I know I am. And Pittsburgh was the team that saw me as that.”
Smith got a one-year, $12 million contract extension from Pittsburgh after the trade, and the Steelers had targeted him since it became clear he was available. He had a breakout season for the Dolphins in 2024, catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns.
Smith may not hold any grudge against the Dolphins, but his Steelers are scheduled to face Miami in Week 15. The tight end may be fired up for that one.
