Dolphins' Jonnu Smith dealt where he's 'most valued and appreciated'

USA Today

7 hours ago

At the end of the day, money and value talked for former Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith.
In a podcast appearance with recently retired Miami offensive tackle Terron Armstead, Smith shared his first public remarks on being traded from the Dolphins to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 29-year-old Smith just authored the best season by a tight end in Dolphins history, notching single-season franchise bests by a Miami tight end in receptions (88), receiving yards (884) and touchdowns (8). The 6-foot-3, 248-pound tight end led all Dolphins players in receptions and also finished behind only Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and George Kittle league wide in receiving yards by a tight end.
As previously reported, Smith said he intended to finish his career in South Beach.
"I didn't foresee this happening with how the season went for me individually. Obviously I had aspirations of ending my career in Miami, with it basically being home for me, my children, my family. But I understand the business side of it, and it didn't work out. I'm grateful. I've got no ill feelings toward Miami and nobody in the organization.
"I can't sit here and lie and say it didn't sting when the process was playing itself out," Smith said.
After notching the first Pro Bowl season of his career, Smith was hopeful that his most productive season would be met by a pay raise or extension as he readied to enter the second year of a two-year deal with the Dolphins.
Smith also thought that his production in 2024 would encourage the organization to lock him up as a long-term piece for the franchise's future success.
"We go through the year, bro, and obviously as a team it was a disappointment, and that does play a factor in a lot of decision making after the season. But for me I felt that I was in a position that I thought that I was one of the key ingredients to help this team succeed. And after the season ended, me and my agent, we're like 'This is a no-brainer, we'll be here forever.'
"Going through that process, I was hurt. 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," Smith said.
Ultimately, Smith just wasn't hearing what he hoped to hear financially after a career year.
"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.
"You always want to be where you're most valued and appreciated, and that's the situation that I found myself in with Pittsburgh. So I'm excited, bro," Smith said.
Smith received a one-year, $12 million extension with the Steelers and joins an offense led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The move also reunites Smith with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who he spent time with in both Tennessee and Atlanta.