Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith, made it clear that his client prefers to stay in Miami.
Smith has been the subject of trade rumors as he attempts to receive a new deal from the Dolphins. The Dolphins tight end is entering the final season of his deal in the 2025 campaign.
“Here’s what I will say on behalf of my client: Jonnu would definitely like to stay in Miami,” Rosenhaus said on WSVN-7. “That’s his first choice. This is where he lives in the off-season. He had a record-breaking season last year.
“It was the best season ever for a Miami Dolphin tight end… He broke the team record for receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns for a tight end and was the team’s single Pro Bowl player. He’s an incredibly valuable part of this team… He went to college at FIU. His dream team is the Dolphins.
“Hopefully, everything works out where he can stay in Miami.”
Smith’s first season with the Dolphins was in the 2024 campaign, and he immediately made an impact for Mike McDaniel’s squad.
Smith had a career-high 88 receptions on 111 targets, finishing the season with 884 receiving yards (also a career-high) and eight touchdowns (which tied his career-high). The veteran tight end appeared in all 17 games for the Dolphins and averaged 52.0 receiving yards per contest.
In a season that saw Miami’s offense take a step back when Tua Tagovailoa was out of the lineup, Smith still found a way to thrive. He earned the first Pro Bowl nod of his career as a result, so it’s not surprising that the Dolphins tight end wants a new deal to lock in his financial future.
The Dolphins are in a tough spot when it comes to Smith and his contract. Miami already has some high-priced players on offense such as Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. While the franchise wouldn’t want to lose Smith, it also may not want to pay him as much as he’s asking for.
In addition to that, Miami is attempting to unload salary at the moment by trading cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but a deal has yet to happen.
Miami missed the playoffs in the 2024 season, as it went just 2-4 in the six games that Tagovailoa was sidelined for. Miami finished the 2024 campaign with an 8-9 record, missing the postseason for the first time in McDaniel’s three seasons as the head coach.
Hopefully, the Dolphins are able to come to a resolution with Smith to keep him with the franchise in the 2025 season. If not, it’s possible he’ll be wearing a new uniform when the regular season kicks off later this year.
