The Pittsburgh Steelers have held trade talks with the Miami Dolphins regarding the availability of Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith, according to sources who spoke to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The conversations began after the end of last season, when Smith discussed reworking his contract, which will see him paid $4.8 million this coming year.

With Smith seeking a new deal, the Dolphins have begun seeking a trade partner. However, sources said that he prefers to stay in Miami on a new, re-worked deal.

Steelers OC Arthur Smith LOVES Jonnu Smith. He had him as a young player in Tennessee and then again with Atlanta. https://t.co/UKTUMcGWo9

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 29, 2025

After being released by the Atlanta Falcons on February 27th, 2024, Jonnu Smith signed a two-year, $8.4 million contract with the Dolphins on March 8th, 2024. In his first year with the ‘Phins, he was one of the team’s best pass catchers, recording a team-high 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight receiving touchdowns, earning him his first Pro Bowl appearance.

The Steelers are clueless

The Steelers already have a reliable starting tight end in Pat Freiermuth, whom they signed at the beginning of last season to a four-year extension. If they wanted to move on from him, they should’ve done it before the beginning of the new league year because they had an out in his contract this off-season. By keeping him on the roster, they’re stuck with him and his $48 million contract until 2029, when he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

More importantly, though, their quarterback situation is still a disaster. Aaron Rodgers still hasn’t been signed yet, so Mason Rudolph or Will Howard are in line to be the starter. Adding a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end won’t fix Pittsburgh’s quarterback debacle.

The Steelers have no idea what they’re doing on the offensive side of the ball. #Steelers #NFL

— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) May 29, 2025

This report begs the question: What on Earth are the Pittsburgh Steelers doing?! You’re more concerned with adding a Pro Bowl tight end than a quarterback you can rely on weekly? The Steelers could have a tight end room made up of Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, and Kellen Winslow Sr. It wouldn’t mean sh*t because they don’t have a compotent starting quarterback to get them the ball.

If the Steelers want to try and trade for Jonnu Smith, God bless ’em. They’re entitled to do that. But that move won’t solve the biggest issue this team has heading into the 2025-26 season.

The Dolphins need to pick a direction

The Miami Dolphins need to either sh*t or get off the pot. By that, I mean, they need to decide if they are going to start a rebuild or try to compete for a Super Bowl.

In its current form, this team is nowhere close to competing for a Super Bowl. Tua Tagovailoa has dealt with injuries basically every year of his career and has still not surpassed the 30 touchdowns threshold in a single season. They say they want to move on from their best cornerback, who wants to be there, but not their aging wide receiver, who carries an almost $28 million cap hit this season. Their pass rush is held together with duct tape, considering they lost Calais Campbell, while Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips are both very injury-prone.

So as we get set to turn the calendar to June, the Dolphins still need to:

*Trade Jalen Ramsey
*Sign a veteran starting-caliber CB
*Either trade Jonnu Smith or reach an agreement on a new contract

Training camp starts in late July. https://t.co/uETnxIrxPR

— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) May 29, 2025

If the ‘Phins decide to trade Smith, then they just need to embrace the tank and start selling off assets. Get rid of Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill while you’re at it. Those decisions are all palatable, but don’t make those moves or listen to trades like this and then tell your fans that you’re going to be competitive this season.

How Miami handles Jonnu Smith will tell us a lot about the future of this franchise. If they keep him and re-work his deal, then that means the Dolphins are still going to try to win. If they move on from Smith, though, then I think it means that dark times are coming to South Beach.