Jonnu Smith Given Permission to Talk to Other Teams to Work Out a Trade

Originally posted on Dolphins Talk | By Mike Oliva | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 11:43 AM ET

Adam Schefter of ESPN on NFL Live said that the Miami Dolphins have given Jonnu Smith and his agent permission to talk to other teams to seek a trade. Jonnu’s absence from mandatory minicamp this week is also excused, and he will not be fined for not showing up this week.

Smith joined the Dolphins last offseason and had a career year in 2024, with 88 receptions, 884 yards, and eight touchdowns.

There has been speculation that he will be traded since late May, when it was reported that he was seeking a pay raise and an extension, and Miami was not willing to give it to him.

Smith will be 30 in August and is coming off the best season of his career.

Before joining Miami, Smith played for Atlanta, New England, and the Tennessee Titans.

The Dolphins are in a rebuilding year this season, even though they won’t admit it publicly, and moving Smith before training camp is another clear sign they have more of an eye on the future than winning and competing this season in 2025.

The Dolphins’ tight end room is very thin behind Smith.

Miami only has Pharaoh Brown, Julian Hill, and Tanner Conner as legitimate NFL-caliber tight ends on the roster, and none of those are true threats in the passing game.

Moving on from Smith now may have Miami looking to add another tight end before training camp, although the available free agents still unsigned at the position are not very good.

This is also a significant loss to the Dolphins’ offense heading into this season, from a production standpoint, as Tua and Jonnu built up some chemistry last season. Removing that weapon and not replacing it will alter the Dolphins’ offense this season.

It is unclear how much of a raise or extension Smith wants, or if Smith simply wants out of Miami, like Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell, Jevon Holland, and many other veterans who have bolted this offseason.

Either way, with Miami having numerous holes to fill in its secondary and on the defensive line, creating another hole at tight end isn’t ideal as we inch closer to training camp.

And this may be just one of many trades Miami makes between now and the NFL trade deadline in the fall, with veterans like Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Tyreek Hill, and Zach Sieler all players who are either old, making a lot of money, or wanting a new contract and an extension that Miami may be looking to ship off for draft picks as they enter yet another long rebuild process.

This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: