Athletic Steelers FA Target Signs with Dolphins

Free-agent tight end Jonnu Smith, who has deep connections with new Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, signed the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. That ends the idea of the Smith reunion in Pittsburgh.

Smith, who was released by the Falcons on Feb. 27, came over from the New England Patriots in a trade during the 2023 offseason in exchange for a seventh-round pick. During his time in both Tennessee and Atlanta, Smith has rooted himself deep into the Arthur Smith offense.

Last season, Jonnu Smith racked up 582 yards on 50 catches and three touchdowns. But over his time with the Titans, Jonnu Smith became a weapon. He broke out in 2019 and 2020 under Arthur Smith, amassing over 900 combined yards during those seasons. Those stats dipped once he went to New England, but he had his best season last year statistically.

And when Smith was let go by the Falcons, Jonnu had only good things to say about Arthur Smith, the coach.

What’s making this thing a lot easier is he’ll be just fine,” Smith told reporters in Atlanta, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Knowing his resilience and the kind of man he is, he’ll bounce back. He’ll be back where he should be in no time. … He’s just a hell of a person, man. I don’t know how many interviews I did about Art, but truly, I can’t do enough.”

While the Steelers do not definitively need a tight end, if a good player wants to join the team, it’s hard to turn them away. And Smith has flourished into a nice weapon in the NFL, and could work well within the confines of Pittsburgh’s offense.

The Dolphins’ tight ends include only Durham Smythe, Tanner Conner, Julian Hill and Tyler Kroft, so Smith being added would definitely bolster their tight end room. Since they’re reportedly already in contract discussions, it appears that Smith will land in South Beach and not be reunited with his longtime offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith.