Could The Dolphins Bring Back Jonnu Smith? Should They?

The list of noteworthy free agents in the NFL is dwindling, but there's a name that many Miami Dolphins fans should remember: Jonnu Smith.

Smith, who will turn 31 in late August, earned Pro Bowl honors for Miami in 2024, his only year with the Dolphins. He set single-season franchise records for a tight end with 88 receptions, 884 receiving yards, and eight receiving touchdowns.

Smith is interested in returning to the Dolphins, according to South Florida sportscaster Josh Moser, though both sides are at a crossroads when it comes to a deal. Overall, would bringing back Smith be the best move for both Miami's offense and their checkbook?

Why Smith Left In the First Place

After that 2024 season, Smith and his camp wanted to rework his contract that ran through 2025. He was set to be paid around $4.8 million that season, but requested an amount that's more associated with the top tight ends in the NFL.

Miami was unwilling to pay what he was looking for, so he was ultimately traded alongside Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh for Minkah Fitzpatrick. Smith then signed a one-year, $12 million extension with the Steelers, but his numbers took a nosedive last season — he finished with only 222 yards and two touchdowns.

Smith was released by Pittsburgh back in March and has yet to find a new team. That's where Miami steps in, but it's uncertain if other NFL teams are reaching out for Smith's services as well.

There could be other teams, like Green Bay, that are weak at the tight end spot. While Tucker Kraft is the clear starter, their backup, Luke Musgrave, is dealing with a neck injury that could be long term.

The Pros

Smith would be an added depth piece to the tight end group, and a good one at that. The Dolphins are currently all in on Greg Dulcich at the position, and he will be the day-one starter, but it gets inexperienced after that.

According to their depth chart, Will Kacmarek is the second-string tight end and their 87th overall pick in the third round of this year's draft. After that, it's Seydou Traore, their 180th overall pick in the fifth round. Instead of a pair of rookies to fall back on, Miami could turn to a veteran with nearly a decade of NFL experience.

The current use of tight ends as genuine weapons for Malik Willis fits Smith and his skill set. He racked up the second-most receiving yards for the Dolphins in 2024, behind Tyreek Hill. If Dulcich could be considered one of Malik Willis' favorite targets, then Smith likely could too.

Aside from being a playmaker Miami could turn to, he has experience to share, including in the playoffs with Tennessee and New England. He could take on a leadership role for the young talent at the tight end position with the Dolphins.

The Cons

Smith likely wouldn't want to be a depth piece in Miami, but rather compete for a starting position, which probably wouldn't mesh with the Dolphins' plan, particularly when it comes to Dulcich.

Then there would be the issue of making the money work because Smith already wanted out because he wanted more money, except the Dolphins aren't signing newcomers to basically anything other than veteran minimum deals.

Appearing on the Fins Faithful Podcast, Moser said that Smith would want to be part of a team "that he's got a chance to do something with." If that means competing for a Super Bowl, then the Dolphins are not the right team for him at the moment. And we should point out, for the sake of transparency and context, that Moser has a weekly segment on Sports Xtra on WSVN with agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represents among others Jonnu Smith.

Would Smith genuinely be an improvement over what Miami has? With Pittsburgh, Smith seemed to regress more than improve. He was ranked by Pro Football Focus 74th out of 75 tight ends with enough snaps to qualify for their rankings. He had the least amount of receiving yards and yards per reception of the group.

The bottom line is there are more reasons to think a reunion isn't happening, even if the idea would please those who remember fondly his big 2024 numbers.

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