Smith, who is coming off his first season with the Dolphins, was traded to the Steelers, along with teammate Jalen Ramsey, in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The veteran tight end thought he had found a forever home in Miami and was shocked about the news.
"I can't sit here and lie and say it didn't sting when the process was playing itself out," said Smith on Terron Armstead’s podcast.
"Obviously, I had aspirations of ending my career in Miami, with it basically being home for me, my children, my family. But I understand the business side of it, and it didn't work out. I'm grateful. I've got no ill feelings toward Miami and nobody in the organization."
Smith earned his first-career Pro Bowl selection after putting up a career-best 884 receiving yards on 88 receptions while tying his career-high eight receiving touchdowns.
The 29-year-old Philadelphia native was originally selected 100th overall in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans - where he spent the first four years of his career, never once eclipsing 500 receiving yards.
Eventually, Smith would put up even worse numbers as a member of the New England Patriots for two years (2021-2022), where he failed to put up more than 300 yards each season, primarily due to the team going through the motions of a rebuild.
He had a rebound year for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023, posting over 500 yards in a season for the first time in his career, which eventually landed him a two-year, $8.4 million deal with the Dolphins.
Now, as a member of the Steelers, Smith will make just under $3.5 million this upcoming season with the hopes of a possible extension or a bigger contract with another team on the horizon.