Report: Jonnu Smith situation is ‘all about the money,’ but ‘both sides’ want to remain together

A recent report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport indicated that Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith wants “a lot” of money as he aims for a restructured deal with the team, a situation that has led to trade talks.

Fellow NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that the Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the mix for Smith and that a potential trade between the two teams is “still alive.”

Pittsburgh’s need for a talented tight end has grown stronger in light of the news that tight end Donald Parham Jr. suffered a torn Achilles during OTAs on Tuesday and is expected to miss the entire 2025 campaign.

In light of the big developments on Tuesday, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe said that while the Smith situation is “all about the money,” the Dolphins and Smith are interested in coming to terms on a restructured contract.

“This Jonnu Smith situation is all about the money, the Benjamins,” Wolfe said. “Jonnu Smith’s coming off a franchise-best season for a tight end in Miami, and he wants to get paid. He’s set to make $4.1 million, and the Dolphins see a guy who just had one year, and right now, they haven’t been able to come to a deal.

“Right now, both sides wanna be back in Miami. If it goes sideways, if a deal can’t get done, maybe that’s when we see a trade. If we do, I’d look at the Pittsburgh Steelers. I’ve talked to their offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and he loves Jonnu Smith probably more than anybody other than Jonnu Smith’s mama.

“And they worked together in Atlanta. They worked together in Tennessee. And that would be a great fit for him. But for right now, Miami wants to keep Jonnu, and they would love to get a deal done.”

Jonnu Smith was easily one of the best tight ends in the NFL in the 2024 season. For one, he totaled the most receiving yards from a tight end in a single season in franchise history with 884. The previous record was held by Randy McMichael, who totaled 791 in 16 games played all the way back in the 2004 season.

Additionally, Jonnu Smith finished with the fourth-most receiving yards of any player at his position league-wide last season.

However, if the Dolphins are wary about paying too much in a restructured deal for Jonnu Smith, that’s reasonable. After all, it’s possible that his fantastic 2024 season was just an outlier and flash in the pan, as he had never earned a Pro Bowl selection or totaled more than 582 receiving yards in any single NFL season before his maiden season in Miami.

But assuming the Dolphins won’t have to completely break the bank to satisfy Jonnu Smith with a restructured deal, they should try to keep him around in Miami for the long haul. He still has some years ahead of him in the NFL, as the Pennsylvania native is 29 years old and won’t turn 30 until August.