Mike McDaniel is entering the 2025 season on the hot seat with the Miami Dolphins. After a losing season last year, the team doesn’t appear to be doing their head coach any favors. Trading away Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey has only made it harder for McDaniel to keep his job.
“All of those now put a tremendous amount of pressure on McDaniel, who is coming off his first under .500 season with the Dolphins, who were also on the outside looking in on the playoffs. We already listed McDaniel as a head coach with one of the hottest seats in the NFL entering 2025, and the road to save his job just got even more difficult,” CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan wrote.
The decision to trade Smith to the Steelers came as a surprise. The tight end was coming off a career season and had made it clear he wanted to stay in Miami.
“Jonnu would definitely like to stay in Miami. That’s his first choice,” his agent Drew Rosenhaus said, via Miami Heraldreporter Barry Jackson. “This is where he lives in the offseason. He had a record-breaking season last year... His dream team is the Dolphins.”
Smith had hoped for a better contract from the Dolphins, but the team couldn’t give it to him. The Steelers, however, were willing to pay him more once the trade was finalized. Even so, Smith admitted he was hurt by the move, especially after the season he had.
“I didn't foresee this happening with how the season went for me individually," Smith said. "Obviously I had aspirations of ending my career in Miami, with it basically being home for me, my children, my family. But I understand the business side of it, and it didn't work out. I'm grateful. I've got no ill feelings toward Miami and nobody in the organization. I can't sit here and lie and say it didn't sting when the process was playing itself out."
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Smith now joins the Steelers, trading the heat of South Florida for the cold of Pittsburgh. While he’s expected to be a key part of the Steelers' offense, it’s clear that—for now—his heart is still in Miami.