Miami Dolphins receive Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller in trade with New York Giants
The Miami Dolphins tight end room took a major hit on Monday.
After weeks of attempts to try to renegotiate Jonnu Smith’s contract, the Dolphins traded the Pro Bowl tight end along with cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 pick swap. That leaves the tight end room as follows: Tanner Conner, Pharoah Brown, Hayden Rucci, Julian Hill and undrafted rookie Jaylin Conyers, none of whom had had more than 15 catches, 100 yards receiving and a touchdown at the NFL level in 2024.
That changed Tuesday morning when the Dolphins traded away a 2026 sixth-round pick to the New York Giants in exchange for Darren Waller and a 2027 seventh-round pick. Waller, who had retired after the 2023 season, plans to sign a one-year deal worth up to $5 million.
This should come as no surprise. In the hours after the Smith trade, Pelissero reported that the the Dolphins were “in conversations with multiple teams” about replacement for the one-time Pro Bowler. Waller seemingly fits the bill as a big-bodied, pass-catching tight end.
Waller last suited up in 2023 when he grabbed 52 balls for 552 yards receiving and a touchdown. In a 2025 interview with Men’s Health, the 32-year-old revealed that his waning love for the game following his trade to the Giants led him to walk away.
“It looked like all the boxes were checked, but I was so far away from a fulfilled life,” he said. Waller famously worked to get sober following an intense battle with substance and alcohol abuse that nearly derailed his NFL career. “I wasn’t doing drugs and alcohol anymore, but the hole was still there. There are still childhood traumas that needed to be unpacked.”
Across his eight years in the NFL, he had 350 catches for more than 4,100 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns. He also had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020 when current Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith was his tight end coach at the time. That reunion could’ve been a catalyst for Waller to unretire as the recently told the Giants that his return to the gridiron would only happen “if he could do it in Miami,” according to Pelissero.
“Frank is my favorite coach I’ve ever had,” Waller told The New York Times in 2023. “It was really just about helping people be better. I feel like that’s what would make a great [head] coach.”
Added Waller: “I would talk to him about how I was feeling, if I was feeling a certain way, or if something in my life was impacting me in any way. There was no hesitancy as far as going to him.”
A Smith replacement, however, might not be too easy to find. In his lone season with the Dolphins, Smith emerged as one of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s favorite targets as he became the most productive tight end in franchise history. He had the most productive year of his career, setting new career-highs for catches (88), receiving yards (884) and touchdowns (eight) en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
“That’s my guy,” Tagovailoa said of Smith prior to the trade. “That’s my dog. Jonnu has done really good for us. I have nothing bad to say about him. I love him as a person, too, outside of the football.”
Of the tight ends left on the roster, three — Brown, Rucci and Hill — project primarily as blockers as their pass-catching chops have been seldom used throughout their career. Outside of Waller, Conner could potentially be the best fit to fulfill Smith’s role. A receiver turned tight end out of Idaho State, Conner joined the Dolphins in 2022 as a restricted free agent yet has received limited playing time over the last last three years.
Still, Conner managed to start a game over Smith early in the 2024 season as the then-newcomer still had not fully grasped the playbook. The results, however, were middling as Conner caught just one of two targets for a single yard during the Dolphins’ 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. As he prepares for his fourth year, Conner believes his mastery of the Dolphins’ offense could set him apart.
“I’m super confident this year regardless of where I’m at” in the rotation, Conner said during minicamp. “This is my fourth year here. I’ve been in this system a long time and I understand it.”
Conyers could be viewed similar to Conner. Initially projected to go in the sixth or seventh round due to his athleticism, the Texas Tech product slipped out of the draft, allowing the Dolphins to sign him. And while his collegiate stats don’t necessarily jump off the page, there’s certainly some potential, according to NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
“With his size and athletic talent, Conyers could become an NFL surprise if he commits himself to the work off the field,” Zierlein wrote. “The route-running needs work and he’s faster than quick, but he has the size and ball skills to win when contested. His build-up speed allows for better throwing windows over the second and third levels than it does underneath against tight man coverage. He can add yards after the catch and has impressive tape out of the Wildcat.”
Regardless of who ends up in Smith’s spot, the Dolphins are blessed to have a tight end coach with a hall of fame resume like Jon Embree. Several Pro Bowlers including Tony Gonzalez, George Kittle and Jordan Cameron have all flourished under Embree’s tutelage. It’s safe to say whoever gets Embree’s approval will be okay.
This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 11:29 AM.
