In a Monday summer blockbuster, Miami dealt away cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick. Miami also swapped its 2027 seventh-rounder for a 2027 fifth-rounder with the Steelers.
The move reunites Fitzpatrick with the Dolphins organization that drafted him No. 11 overall in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
But, it also leaves Miami without the tight end that reset the Dolphins’ record books in 2024. In his lone season in Miami, Smith registered Dolphins single-season bests by a tight end in catches (88), receiving yards (884) and in touchdowns (8).
That’s a substantial loss on the offensive side for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and head coach Mike McDaniel to operate without.
Miami might not stand still, though. According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins are already engaging in conversations with other NFL teams about possibly acquiring a tight end.
The #Dolphins are now in conversations with multiple teams about acquiring a tight end after sending Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh, per sources.
A wild start to the holiday week could get wilder … pic.twitter.com/11EGxDsVMp
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 30, 2025
CBS put together a list of five tight ends that the Dolphins could now be targeting. That group includes Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer and Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee.
Kmet caught 47 passes for 474 yards and four scores a season ago and he inked a four-year, $50 million extension ahead of the 2023 season. Andrews has caught 436 passes for 5,530 yards and 51 touchdowns over his seven-year NFL career with the Ravens.
Okonkwo is entering the final year of his rookie contract after catching 52 passes for 479 yards and a pair of scores. Mayer has reeled in 48 passes for 460 yards and two touchdowns during his first two seasons with the Raiders. But, Las Vegas just watched Bowers morph into one of the league’s brightest stars at the position and might see Mayer as a dispensable asset.
Lastly, Higbee has more than 360 grabs for nearly 3,700 yards in his NFL career. Though a knee injury from the end of the 2023 season limited Higbee to just three regular season games in 2024, Higbee caught 12 passes for 112 yards and a score during the Rams’ two postseason contests last season.
At the moment, Miami currently has tight ends Pharaoh Brown, Tanner Conner, Julian Hill, Hayden Rucci and Jalin Conyers on the roster.
Brown, an eight-year NFL veteran, has caught 72 passes for 751 yards and three touchdowns during his career. Meanwhile, Hill has 18 career receptions for 148 yards, including 12 for 100 yards last season with the Dolphins. Conner caught three passes for 16 yards last season in Miami.
Rucci is yet to record an NFL catch and Conyers signed a three-year, $2.98 million deal this April with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: CBS lists five potential Dolphins TE targets following blockbuster