Miami, already strapped for cash with little cap space to work with, wasn’t willing to pay Smith what he wanted, and the talks that Smith said started in January never came to a full conclusion.
Trade rumors swirled for the last month, but through it all Smith reiterated that he wanted to remain a Dolphin right up until the news broke Monday that he would be part of the Steelers-Dolphins mega deal.
“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 described the mixed feelings he battled in balancing the professional and personal feelings around staying versus leaving, but added that he appreciated the Dolphins not being “sour about the situation” in the end and allowing him the chance to join a team that would be able to pay him commensurate with his view of his value.
“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,” he said. “…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.”
The Steelers will now pay Smith the money he was hoping for with a one-year, $12 million extension, and he’ll join an offense that’s overall light on star pass-catching weapons, but heavy on tight ends, with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington at the top of the depth chart.
Just where and how he Smith into the scheme of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith — an old friend from from their Titans days — will be revealed in time, but the tight end is nevertheless ready for the next chapter.
“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,” he said.