The Pittsburgh Steelers have inquired about a trade for Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith. At first glance, this is easy to get behind. Why not add a Pro Bowl skill player who's coming off a season that included 88 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns, right? If only it were that simple.
Smith is a versatile offensive weapon who can line up beside the tackle, in the slot, or out wide. But he's not a receiver; he's a tight end—and one who does his best work from the slot.
Are you starting to sense the issue here?
The Steelers could use wide receiver help, but adding another tight end to the mix? Really? Last offseason, the Steelers handed Pat Freiermuth a four-year, $48.4 million contract extension, putting him among the top-10 highest-paid tight ends in the NFL.
In 2023, Pittsburgh spent a third-round pick on Darnell Washington, who has been used frequently as a blocker and is ideal for the 'Y' tight end role.
If Smith is added to the mix, somebody is going to see a vastly reduced role. Based on skill sets, Smith most closely replicates Freiermuth's role on offense. So if the Steelers are dead set on adding Jonnu, it needs to come with one string attached.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must send Pat Freiermuth packing to the Miami Dolphins if they trade for Jonnu Smith
You don't see teams do this often, but it's not impossible—trading a player straight up for another at the same position. But that's what this should come to if the Pittsburgh Steelers are sold on Jonnu Smith.
Instead of needlessly overspending at the tight end position, the Steelers could reduce cost and upgrade the 'F' tight end role by swapping Smith for Freiermuth. This is better than the alternative of trading for Smith, handing the 2024 Pro Bowler a lofty contract extension, and shipping away valuable draft capital in the process.
The Dolphins may be reluctant to fork up for Smith, but salary cap space isn't currently an issue for the Steelers, and they obviously are aware that Jonnu will need a new deal once he's traded. For the Miami Dolphins, Freiermuth would have a base salary (with a small roster bonus) each of the next four seasons now that Pittsburgh has already paid his prorated signing bonus.
It's a deal that theoretically could work for both parties. The Steelers would get a tight end with a bit more juice and speed with Jonnu Smith, and the Dolphins would be getting a younger, starting-level tight end on a reasonable contract for the next four seasons.
Honestly, I would not love this trade for Pittsburgh. Smith turns 30 years old before the start of the 2025 season, and this team should be focused on getting foundational pieces to build around for whoever the next quarterback will be.
But it would be even worse if the Steelers traded for Smith and kept Freiermuth. These two players would cut into each other's production and snap counts, and with Smith's looming new deal, Pittsburgh might wind up with the most expensive tight end room in the NFL.
Unless a 30-year-old tight end like Jonnu Smith can play outside wide receiver at a high level (and I don't think he can), I would avoid this trade with the Dolphins altogether. But if the Pittsburgh Steelers are sold on making this happen, they should gift Pat Freiermuth to Miami to save money and preserve their precious 2026 draft capital.