The Pittsburgh Steelers have been trying to make a conscious effort to trade for a veteran tight end, namely Jonnu Smith. Smith is coming off a career season with the Miami Dolphins and is seeking a new contract. While the tight end prefers to stay in Miami, Pittsburgh has been engaged in on and off again discussions about Smith with the Dolphins. It remains to be seen where those talks will go, but the Steelers definitely have other tight end options to trade for.
All of the talk and rumors have been about Smith and Atlanta Falcons’ tight end Kyle Pitts, but there’s another young tradeable tight end who could be great for Pittsburgh.
That tight end is Las Vegas Raiders’ veteran Michael Mayer. Mayer was drafted with the 35th-overall pick in 2023 and hasn’t fully tapped into the potential he had coming into the league yet. However, the young tight end is reportedly looking incredible ahead of year three.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should explore trading for TE Michael Mayer
Raiders reporter Vincent Bonsignore recently detailed how great Mayer has looked so far, saying, “(Michael) Mayer has shown up in tremendous shape and has been a standout at OTAs so far. It helps that he has a new quarterback in Geno Smith and an offensive coordinator in Chip Kelly.” That could be a great thing for the Raiders or any team that needs tight end help.
Las Vegas drafted Brock Bowers last year, and after a record-breaking rookie season, Bowers is well on his way to being the best tight end in the NFL. The Raiders could continue to pair the two talented tight ends, or they could just move Mayer. If Vegas is interested in the latter, Pittsburgh needs to get on the phone.
A trade for Jonnu Smith still makes the most sense, as his production level is already established, but it will likely take a larger trade package and a new contract for Smith to acquire him. Mayer, on the other hand, isn’t as proven, but he’s younger and cheaper, with a chance to emerge as a threat for years to come.