The Miami Dolphins made a league-shaking move on Monday, trading both Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a draft pick and star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The trade came as a surprise, especially since Smith had made it clear he wanted to stay in Miami.
“Jonnu would definitely like to stay in Miami. That’s his first choice,” Rosenhaus said. “This is where he lives in the offseason. He had a record-breaking season last year… His dream team is the Dolphins.”
In the wake of the trade, Miami began exploring tight end options around the league and quickly landed one — former Pro Bowler Darren Waller, who had retired last June.
“Dolphins are trading a conditional 2026 sixth to the New York Giants for a 2027 seventh-round pick and Darren Waller. Waller is coming out of retirement after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Dolphins worth up to $5 million, per Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
The move came as a surprise to many, especially considering the Dolphins could have targeted several active tight ends across the league but chose instead to bring Waller out of retirement.
“Tight end Darren Waller is coming out of retirement to play for the Miami Dolphins, filling the team’s void at the position after Jonnu Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday,” ESPN wrote.
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As it turns out, Waller had only one condition for returning to the NFL: he wanted to play in Miami. That condition has now been fulfilled.
“Darren Waller retired last summer, but he recently informed the Giants he wanted to play again — only if he could do it in Miami. Now he gets his wish,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported. “He’ll sign an adjusted, incentive-laden deal to complete the trade.”
This trade could go either way for the Dolphins — it may prove to be a smart, low-risk addition, or it could backfire if Waller doesn’t return to form. For now, though, Miami appears confident they’ve found their replacement for Smith.
