The Miami Dolphins emerged victorious against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the team on a game-winning drive that ended with a 52-yard field goal by Jason Sanders.

Despite winning the season, Miami’s offensive performance still left a lot to be desired. The group that disappointed the most was undoubtedly the tight ends. Much was written in the offseason about Miami’s need and desire to use the tight end position more often. In 2023, Miami ranked last in the league with 52 passes caught by tight ends. So what was going against the Jaguars?

Knowing Miami needed to improve, Chris Grier went out and signed Jonnu Smith. Smith led all tight ends in yards after the catch in 2023. The pairing of Smith and McDaniel seemed like a match made in heaven.

Fast forward to Week 1 against the Jaguars and the tight end position looked abysmal. The TEs were only targeted six times on Sunday afternoon. To put it in perspective, Tua threw a total of 37 passes. Only six of those went to his tight ends?

Smith was targeted twice, Julian Hill once and Durham Smythe three times. Smith managed seven yards on one catch and was irrelevant the entire game. Paying a tight end $10 million for two years to be a blocker or decoy seems like money that could be better spent elsewhere. The important thing is that Miami emerged victorious from what could have been a disappointing start to the season.

Smith and the other tight ends will be asked to contribute in the passing game, especially as injuries mount. Thursday night against Buffalo will be another chance for McDaniel and the Dolphins to show how good Smith can be.