Kelly: Jonnu Smith is having a Pro Bowl-worthy season for Dolphins | Opinion

Think about the conviction — if not arrogance — one has to have in his ability to consistently remind their head coach about a specific play every time eye contact is made.

And imagine doing it after dropping a pass when the play you have reminded him about got called earlier in the game.

“It’s constructive,” Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said about tight end screen play the Dolphins used twice in overtime to pull out Sunday’s 32-26 win over the New York Jets. “I know what that means.”

It means Smith wants to get more involved in the game, and before pulling in his three receptions and a touchdown in the clutch overtime period, Smith was being shut out by the Jets.

Then came his moment.

“When my number is called, I know it’s called for a spark,” Smith said. “On those screen plays, there’s only one guy getting that ball. It’s not like two guys — he has a progression to go through, [and must wait] for guys to get open. It’s you and go to work. Just getting those type of plays going, getting the momentum going when your number is called, [you] got to answer.”

Answering the call is what Smith has done all season, resurrecting the tight end position for the Dolphins, which failed to have a tight end score a touchdown in 2023.

Even though Smith has spent most of his NFL career as a backup, and technically still remains one with the Dolphins, there has been consistent flashes of greatness that hinted there might be more meat on the bone.

This season he’s showing just how juicy it can be.

Smith has produced a career-best 61 receptions, for a career-high 692 yards and five touchdowns, and if he can remain healthy and be productive in the final four games Smith could set franchise record for the position.

Heading into Sunday’s road game against the Houston Texans, Smith needs 13 receptions to surpass Randy McMichael and Mike Gesicki (73 each) for most catches by a tight end, and he’s 100 receiving yards shy of setting the receiving yards record, which was set by McMichael (791) in 2004.

But Smith has his sights set on more than just franchise records.

“I want that,” Smith said when a media member claimed he was having a Pro Bowl-caliber season.

Only Raiders rookie Brock Bowers, who leads the NFL in receptions, Arizona’s Trey McBride, San Francisco’s George Kittle and Kansas City’s Travis Kelce are having seasons on par with Smith this year.

Despite his slow start to the season, nothing he has accomplished surprises his teammates and coaches because they’ve seen the work Smith has put in.

Each day he’s one of the first players catching balls from the jugs machine before every single walk through, and practice session.

“For everyone to talk about how he didn’t get the ball, and then he does in overtime, it epitomizes how he’s approached things this season. When his opportunity, his number is called, he’s been working relentlessly, tirelessly,” fullback Alec Ingold said. “It gives me goosebumps because of the amount of work [he’s put in] and how it shows up on the field. His habits, his routines. He’s leading by example in a number of ways.”

This isn’t the first tone-setting tight end McDaniel has had in one of his offenses. During his tenure as a top offensive assistant with the 49ers the offense was built around Kittle, who has had a Hall of Fame-worthy career.

While Kittle was the starting point for Smith’s package, Miami custom fit the plays to fit Smith’s unique run-after-catch skill set.

“There are a lot of different things we can try with him that we haven’t tried in the past with other tight ends. I think the biggest thing, regardless of position, is we thought we could benefit from the extra space the other three eligibles get based on the attention to 10 and 17,” McDaniel said, referring to receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle by number. “The expansion of the field the defense is defending, how to best take advantage of that space.”

And that Miami has, so much so it appears signing Smith to a two-year deal worth $8.4 million appears to be one of general manager Chris Grier’s best free agent additions of the offseason.

He was the Dolphins’ very first offseason signing of 2024 after signing a two year deal worth $8.4 million.

Based on what he has done this season, and how he has altered how defenses play the Dolphins, Smith has been worth every penny, if not more.

“I envisioned this moment,” Smith said. “It’s a process of putting in the work, seeing it, believing in it, having faith. You can never know when a time can be your time that the team really needs you.”