After months of speculation, the, seemingly, inevitable has finally happened: Aaron Rodgers has signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The move was expected for months, but as the days continued to pass without the veteran quarterback signed, there was fear Rodgers would never show up. Those fears have been put to bed, and now the Steelers can continue to build the rest of the roster.
The next move for Pittsburgh will likely be one the team was exploring right before signing Rodgers. In the days prior to landing the veteran QB, the Steelers were in talks with the Miami Dolphins about a possible trade for Jonnu Smith. With QB1 now in place, Pittsburgh needs to resume the talks for the veteran tight end.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will turn their attention back to Jonnu Smith after signing Aaron Rodgers
Smith is coming off a career year with the Dolphins, catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. Now, he’s entering the final season of a two-year deal, and he’s seeking a raise or a new contract after his Pro Bowl year. However, Miami doesn't seem interested in giving Smith what he wants, because they’ve been entertaining trade calls for him. Still, Smith’s desire is to stay with the Dolphins.
Despite his wishes, Smith could be forced to chose between two options— each only partially guaranteeing what he’s looking for. If Miami doesn’t change its stance on a new contact, Smith could just decide to stay there without a new deal. Or, if Pittsburgh is willing to trade for him and give him a deal he’s happy with, he could just move on to a new team.
Smith and Miami will have to figure out their side of things, but on the Steelers’ side, they absolutely should keep calling the Dolphins to see if they can get a deal for Jonnu Smith done.