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After making the 2024 Pro Bowl roster, Jonnu Smith attempted to negotiate for a pay raise and contract extension. The move did not work in his favor, leading to the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers discussing a potential trade.
Smith has one year remaining on his current deal and is owed $4.8 million in 2025. But after making the Pro Bowl, the 29-year-old believes he is in for a pay increase. Smith prefers to stay with Miami, but if he is moved, his new team will likely have to listen to his demands.
The Steelers currently have the seventh-most cap space in the league, according to Over the Cap. Some of that flexibility is being set aside for Aaron Rodgers, but Pittsburgh still has the flexibility to pay a veteran like Smith. However, doing so would create an undesired payroll situation after the team just gave Pat Freiermuth a four-year, $48.4 million deal in the 2024 offseason.
Freiermuth did not match Smith's production in 2024, but did build on his personal numbers. He put together arguably the best season of his career, setting a new career high with 65 catches for 653 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The upward trend is certainly what Pittsburgh desired after extending him. Regardless, the Steelers' engaging in trade discussions shows their interest in adding talent at the position.
If the Dolphins do trade Smith to the Steelers, they will need significant compensation in return. After missing the playoffs in 2024, Miami is in an awkward state of no man's land and has to rebound in 2025.
Potential Steelers-Dolphins Jonnu Smith trade
Steelers receive: Jonnu Smith, 2026 sixth-round pick
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Dolphins receive: 2026 third-round pick
Should the Dolphins trade Smith to the Steelers, it would make logistical sense to net Freiermuth in return. Miami does not have much depth at the position, and Freiermuth is three years younger. But with the team immediately diving into trade talks once he pushed for an extension, the front office appears uneasy about adding another long-term deal to its books. It seems likely they would not want to absorb Freiermuth's contract, which is valid through the 2028 season.
Instead, trading Smith would act as their way of signaling a youth movement. Terron Armstead retired, Tyreek Hill just turned 31 and Miami let 33-year-old Raheem Mostert walk in free agency. Mike McDaniel's offense is notoriously based on speed, causing the Dolphins to be keenly aware of their skill players' advancing ages.
By netting a third-round pick in exchange for Smith, the Dolphins would gear up for the 2026 offseason. They would have a void at tight end, but they thrived in 2023 with Durham Smythe managing just 366 yards. As long as Hill and Jaylen Waddle make full recoveries, the tight end position is more of a premium than a featured role in McDaniels' system.
While receiving Smith, the Steelers would not lose much in this trade. Pittsburgh currently has seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, not including its expected compensatory picks. With a rebuild potentially on the horizon, general manager Omar Khan should keep those selections in hand, but losing one for a player like Smith would not hurt.
The Dolphins currently have nine picks in 2026, including two third-rounders. Perhaps they keep all of them to draw an army of incoming rookies, but more realistically, they could re-package those assets to make a bigger splash. This iteration of Miami could use a big boost, especially with the losses it suffered in the 2025 offseason.
