The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to add a notable pass catcher to their roster. On Wednesday, former Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis visited the team. But general manager Omar Khan isn't limiting his choices to just a receiver. A trade for a tight end is on the table.
Last week, Steelers fans were caught off guard when they learned that the front office was in talks with the Miami Dolphins about a possible trade for Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith. The buzz is only growing louder. On Tuesday, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers renewed conversations with the Dolphins for Jonnu Smith and that the trade is 'still alive'.
But this bizarre move raises more questions than answers... and not just for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Smith is seeking a new contract and is scheduled to play for $4.64 million for Miami in 2025. This is a number that simply won't fly for the Pro Bowler who recorded 88 catches, 884 yards, and eight touchdowns in his first year with the Dolphins in 2024.
The Arthur Smith connection is easy to make. Jonnu played with Smith both in Tennessee and Atlanta, and Field Yates expressed on X that 'Arthur Smith loves Jonnu Smith'. While the Steelers could use another proven pass-catcher, a trade doesn't make enough sense for either party to pull the trigger on a deal.
The Miami Dolphins don't have enough incentive to trade Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers (or anyone else)
There's a small case to be for the Miami Dolphins or Pittsburgh Steelers to execute this trade. The Dolphins are in a bit of a bind financially over the next few years, while the Steelers could use any spark they can find on offense. However, the ramifications of this trade would cause more harm for both teams than good.
Let's start with the Dolphins. Jonnu Smith was the lone Pro Bowler on Miami's roster last season after reeling in 88 catches for over 800 yards and eight touchdowns. This is high-end production from the position. What's noteworthy is that the dropoff in talent from Smith to the pedestrian group on the roster would be significant.
Outside of Smith, Miami's remaining tight ends were pitiful in 2024. Julian Hill logged 515 snaps in his season and earned an overall PFF grade of just 37.2—dead last among 74 qualifying tight ends in the NFL last season. The depth on the roster is just as bad with Tanner Connor (49.0 PFF grade) and Pharoh Brown (45.6 PFF grade).
In comparison, Smith was excellent in 2024, earning a 78.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. This ranked fifth among all NFL tight ends, as did his 84.0 receiving grade. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel could be on the hot seat if Miami doesn't have a good season in 2025, and their offense would certainly take a hit if they traded Smith.
A Pittsburgh Steelers trade for Jonnu Smith would raise more questions than answers
From the Steelers' perspective, a Jonnu Smith trade still leaves us scratching our heads. While Smith is coming off the best season of his career, the Steelers would immediately enter a predicament at the tight end position.
Last offseason, Pittsburgh handed Pat Freiermuth a four-year, $48.4 million contract extension. A year earlier, the Steelers spent a third-round pick on Georgia's Darnell Washington, who has proven to be a mauling blocker as an inline 'Y' tight end.
Together, Freiermuth and Washington make a strong pairing, and adding Smith to the mix would cut into both players' snap counts. While Smith is the best of the three, the potential upgrade may prove to be minimal. Freiermuth may even take the biggest hit, as he and Smith largely overlap in their skill sets as 'F' tight ends who do most of their damage working from the slot.
While giving up potentially a Day 3 pick wouldn't break the Steelers' 2026 draft capital, finances need to be considered here. The Steelers would need to turn around and pay Smith like a top-10 NFL tight end after the season he just had. This means that we are looking at an average yearly value north of $10 million per season.
When you add these contracts together, this means that the Steelers will have roughly $22-24 million per season locked up in their tight end room. Is that the best use of resources? Smith and Freiermuth are solid players, but this type of money could fetch you any star tight end in the NFL with money to spare.
Furthermore, adding Smith to the roster would once again prove to be a short-sighted move for a team that needs to turn the page and rebuild to be a Super Bowl contender. At 30 years old, the Steelers would pay Jonnu Smith for what he would do for them at age 31, 32, and so on. Chances are, his production is going to fall back down to earth, and they won't get their money's worth on a contract extension.
Even if Aaron Rodgers ends up being the quarterback in Pittsburgh, Smith won't be a piece the Steelers can use to build around their next franchise quarterback. The undersized tight end will age out before this offense becomes relevant again. If anything, Omar Khan should have his eyes on younger skill players who can eventually become foundational roster pieces.
The icing on the cake is that Pat Freiermuth has three seasons with greater production than Smith has had in any of his five seasons with Arthur Smith (either as an offensive assistant, offensive coordinator, or head coach). Jonnu's most productive season with his former long-time coach included 50 catches for 582 yards and three touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Freiermuth already has three seasons of at least 60 receptions while averaging over 600 yards and scoring a combined 16 touchdowns in his three best years (not counting his 2023 season when he missed significant time with injuries). Shockingly, two of these seasons came with Matt Canada as offensive coordinator.
Don't get me wrong; I like Jonnu Smith. He's a good football player and one of the better receiving tight ends in the game. But trading for a 30-year-old tight end who needs a lofty contract when you already have Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington on the team seems like a poor use of draft capital and salary cap space.
The Miami Dolphins are better with Smith on their roster, and the Pittsburgh Steelers don't have nearly enough incentive to pull the trigger on a trade.