The Dolphins have been cooking up some big moves this offseason, but let’s be real—their tight end room hasn’t exactly been the talk of the town. With Durham Smythe holding things down but not exactly lighting up the stat sheet, Miami decided to release him and went ahead with a journeyman TE, Pharaoh Brown. But here’s where things get interesting—because instead of the usual ‘happy to be here’ speech, their newest signing had something… different to say.

On Monday, sports media personality Dov Kleiman shared Brown’s recent chat during a podcast. He was asked, “You know, what attracted you to Miami and what were some of your first impressions of coach McDaniel?” His response? Well, let’s just say the guy’s probably not happy with his contract. “The opportunity kind of attracted me there. What they say sometimes beggars can’t be choosers,” he said. Ouch! But why does he think like that?

Let’s rewind to the Dolphins’ 2023 season—first three games of that season, to be specific. The Dolphins, under the reins of their QB, Tua Tagovailoa, were a determined force not to be reckoned with. It stared with Miami’s nail-biting 36–34 win over the Chargers (Tua threw for 466 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception).

Then came the second week. After throwing for 249 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, the QB led the Dolphins to a 24-17 win against the Patriots. And stick with us because we aren’t done yet. Fast forward to the week 3 showdown against the Broncos, and it’s safe to say that the Dolphins literally unleashed every offensive weapon from their arsenal, recording a jaw-dropping 70-20 win over Denver. The kicker?

In the very next game, the Buffalo Bills crushed their mighty offense 48-20 for a decisive victory. The rest of the season? A total mixed bag. After losing the final two games of the season, the Dolphins kneeled in front of the Chiefs in the wildcard with a disastrous 26-7 loss. And let’s just say, since then, the Dolphins’ O-line hasn’t recovered yet. One of the reasons why Pharaoh Brown doesn’t seem quite happy after landing in Miami, perhaps.

Because let’s be real—after their first half of their 2023 campaign, the Dolphins just couldn’t bounce back. Take last season, for instance. They wrapped up the regular season with 8-9 record in 2024. Sure, Tagovailoa’s injury played a major role in 2024. But even when their QB was healthy, Miami was just 6-5.

So, when asked what attracted Brown to Miami and his first impression about Mike McDaniel, Brown just burst out in laughter and then added, “Sometimes beggars can’t be choosers.” On top of that, the Dolphins were clearly not his first choice, considering he’s expected to settle behind the ninth-year TE, Jonnu Smith. On top of that, his contract with Miami could also be one of the reasons behind his cryptic response to the head coach, Mike McDaniel, and others.

Tua Tagovailoa’s Dolphins signed a journeyman TE to their offense

Pharaoh Brown’s NFL career has been anything but smooth. After NFL scouts overlooked him, the Oakland Raiders signed Brown as an undrafted free agent in the 2017 NFL Draft. Across his seven seasons in the pros, the 30-year-old tight end played with six teams before landing in Miami. The most recent one?

It’s the Seattle Seahawks. “Pharaoh in our opinion is one of the top two or three blocking tight ends in the National Football League, he brings a nastiness to us,” that’s what the Seahawks’ GM, John Schneider, said when they signed him last season. “He’s a guy that can take care of the C-gap, he can block down, he’s nasty. He’s going to bring a toughness to our offense, he’s a tempo-setter, he’s a little bit of an old soul that way, he’s going to fight you and not back down.” 

Fast forward to now, and after spending a brief stint with the Seahawks in the last season, Brown signed a one-year deal with Miami worth up to $1.35 million, including a $20K signing bonus and $20K guaranteed, as per Spotrac. The guy appeared in 15 games and started 7 of them for the Seahawks last season, recording eight catches for 65 yards.

As for his pro career, Brown has played 87 games with a track record of 72 career passes for 751 yards with three TDs. Now that he’s about to join Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ offense in the 2025 season, let’s see if Miami finally gives him the spark he’s been looking for. But first, he may have to keep a stiff upper lip, as they say.