After reporting earlier Tuesday that the Pittsburgh Steelers were unlikely to acquire Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reversed course by the evening. He tweeted that trade talks between the two sides are “still alive” and “renewed,” presumably sometime throughout the day.
Back in it: the Steelers renewed conversations today with Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith, who is seeking a new contract. The trade between the Steelers and Dolphins is still alive, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 3, 2025
Led by agent Drew Rosenhaus, Smith is seeking a new contract following a career 2024 season with the Miami Dolphins that led to his first Pro Bowl bid. Smith and his camp have gone on record stating their desire to stay in Miami, but that may hinge on being able to reach a long-term deal.
Schefter first brought up trade discussions between Pittsburgh and Miami over Smith last week. Dots were easy to connect back to Pittsburgh. Steelers’ offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has an extensive history with Jonnu Smith, coaching him in Tennessee and trading for him in 2023 while the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach. Every year under Arthur Smith, Jonnu’s numbers improved.
Turning 30 years old in August, Smith recorded 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns last season for the Dolphins.
“Jonnu Smith is a very important player to me and to the guys. I think one thing that we can stand on is his professionalism and how he goes about his business,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Tuesday when asked about Smith’s status.
It’s rare for a plugged-in insider like Schefter to flip-flop as much as he has. It’s fair to assume that his close relationship with Rosenhaus is driving the narrative, making it difficult to discern whether a deal is genuinely close to happening or if Pittsburgh is simply being used as leverage for Smith to secure a deal in Miami. Local Steelers’ beat writers report it’s the latter.
Acquiring Smith would almost certainly require Pittsburgh to give him the long-term contract he’s seeking. It would also require the Steelers to give up trade capital. What either of those elements would be is hard to pin down. Smith is likely looking for a contract that pays him between $8-10 million per season, and Miami would probably accept a Day Three pick for him.
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