The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be pursuing a new offensive weapon, but it certainly isn’t a name anyone was expecting. Jonnu Smith, the current starting tight end in Miami and a veteran of the Arthur Smith system, is being shopped around.
According to Adam Schefter, the Pittsburgh Steelers are all in.
While it is no secret that the Steelers are short on targets for whoever will be their quarterback in 2025, adding another tight end to an already deep room would be puzzling. While the Smith offense has been built around multi-tight end looks, Smith would feel like an excess for this team.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in desperate need of help on offense
Pat Freiermuth is the every-down starter, while Darnell Washington took some major leaps as both a receiver and a blocker last season. Simply put, those two are the top options for the foreseeable future.
Behind them sits Connor Hewyward, a versatile H-Back/tight end with special teams ability but a non-existent role on offense last year, and former Charger Donald Partham. Neither are guys you would want receiving a lot of work, but both can fill in and help out if called upon.
So where does Smith fit in? He would be a massive upgrade coming off his best season as a professional, but at what cost. His current contract is cheap, but that is part of the issue.
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Smith is looking to capitalize on his Pro Bowl season and rework his deal. The Dolphins are unwilling to do this, so they are shopping the veteran. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for Pittsburgh to send draft picks to Miami and then give Smith more money to play for them.
To be fair, tight end trades have been cheap as of late. The last notable move was Darren Waller to the Giants, but he only netted a third-round pick. Smith himself was traded just a few seasons ago for a mere seventh-round pick.
While his cost may be slightly more than that, draft pick-wise, it wouldn’t be expensive. I’d guess a later day three pick or a swap of draft picks.
If that were the only cost, I would be all for the move. However, turning around and extending Smith at his age doesn’t make a lot of sense. That money would be better spent on Washington, who will be looking for a new deal next offseason.
It also doesn’t help an ailing receiver room. If the Steelers think they can fill the hole at receiver with more tight end help, they need to think again. It didn't work last year, and it won’t work in 2025.
Unless the deal is for minimal picks in the draft and Smith is content to play on his current deal, the Steelers can steer clear of this deal. They have better options to fill their needs on offense.