Once Arthur Smith left Pittsburgh, it did not take long for his favorite tight end to follow. The Steelers are releasing Jonnu Smith, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, adding him to a strong crop of free agents at his position.
The move will save $7MM against the salary cap with $3.9MM in dead money, according to OverTheCap. The Steelers currently have just over $40MM in 2026 cap space, so they did not need the money. However, with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington still in place – and Arthur Smith now at Ohio State – Jonnu Smith became surplus to requirements in Pittsburgh, especially with a $10.9MM cap hit.
Smith, 30, arrived in Pittsburgh last offseason as part of the Jalen Ramsey–Minkah Fitzpatrick swap with the Dolphins. He signed a one-year, $12MM extension with the Steelers, but only received $9MM of that money. In 2025, he only put up 222 yards and two touchdowns on 38 catches, less than half of his production during his Pro Bowl 2024 campaign in Miami.
Smith will now join several other veteran tight ends in free agency. Teams may be cautious after a down year, but the presence of Freiermuth and Washington and the Steelers’ general offensive struggles in 2025 are mitigating factors. But Smith has never received strong blocking grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which could limit interest from teams looking for a secondary tight end to help in the run game.
Perhaps Los Angeles could be a landing spot. There, Smith could reunite with Mike McDaniel, his head coach in Miami who is now the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. Smith put up career numbers in his lone season under McDaniel and could serve as an experience TE2 behind 2025 rookie breakout Oronde Gadsden II.
Freiermuth and Washington just not enough snaps for the elder statesman Jonnu Smith
If Likely prices himself out of Baltimore Jonnu Smith may be a good low risk signing to replace him
This is the first time a Steelers transaction involving Jonnu Smith has made sense.
Not a bad player. Putting Rodgers with 3 TEs looking for reps was a mistake.
Rodgers has nevvver utilized TEs well and they traded away Pickens for nothing and could’ve had a way better WR room.
I don’t know about that. Jared Cook, Robert Tonyan, Jimmy Graham, and of course, Jermichael Finley (who was never really replaced).
Washington played very well in his limited snaps with Pittsburgh this year. Smith might have worked better in an offense that could threaten in the run game more consistently, but the fact is, the offense just wasn’t good enough in other areas to even take advantage of the running opportunities that a three TE set would provide. They were probably fine just with Freiermuth and Washington (though Washington hadn’t started to show his receiving potential at that point), and really would have benefitted more from another WR. I agree with that, entirely. Metcalf was the only threat at ALL outside, and he had more drops in trying to carry the unit than he should have as a number one.
The Steelers’ O-line needs to continue to develop, and they’ll likely need a bigger threat at HB. Even with all of that, they desperately, desperately, desperately need a WR. All of these issues need to be addressed before the QB even shows up on the list. It just was not a good offense last year, talent wise-except, ironically, at TE where Pittsburgh had two good receivers and a young behemoth blocker who started to develop a connection with Rodgers.
I do agree that the trade for Smith was superfluous because they were in no position to take advantage of it, but Rodgers has shown that he can use TEs when he has the opportunity. Obviously, he’s limited in his older age now, but I think that if Pittsburgh can steady their line, add a receiver, and solidify their run game, those should take precedence over any TE additions or a QB change this year. Even if it’s not Rodgers, the QB will need some better options than the Steelers offered last year.
All of those TEs you mentioned not a single one was a first team or second team all pro or a pro bowler with the Packers. Meanwhile guys on the outside like Adams, Nelson, Cobb, and Jennings all reached at least a pro bowl with Rodgers throwing the ball to them.
The TEs mentioned none of them ever reached an 800 yard season. Finley I might listen on because I felt he was underrated but still was fairly consistent in his short career in GB.
But with Rodgers and Arthur Smith, that match just was not meant to be. Rodgers does best when he has guys that are good at very specific things. One guy for his go-route (Like MVS), one guy for his slant and quick outs (like Cobb), and one guy for posts and boundary catches (Nelson/Adams).
Smith uses the heavy sets more than most do and that just didn’t play well with what Rodgers is suited for.
I disagree that those guys have to be All-Pros to be good. I’m just pointing out that Rodgers can use TEs, that’s all.
I agree about Smith. That match wasn’t going to work-it would behoove a QB whole doesn’t need to run the offense, which is quite unlike Rodgers….especially the lake of pass options for multiple WRs.
Best spots:
Chargers
Commanders
Texans
Bengals
Vikings
Orange Gadsden II is gonna breakout with the Chargers, I think Washington is a better place for Jonnu Smith to rebound. The Vikings are a possibility if Hockenson is a cap casualty.
This draft is stacked in tight ends. Cutting Jonnu allows them to draft a tight end that will be a number three this year and replace for Friermuth next.
Smith is nobody’s favorite (especially FF wise)! Jonnu to Pitt was a dumb trade, he had his career year in Miami, maybe Eagles or joins Mike McDaniel with Chargers?
Wahoo!