Pittsburgh Steelers may be putting a recent draft pick on notice following reported interest in trading for Pro Bowl tight end

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated May 29, 2025 3:55 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers are stacked at TE.

Where they lack options is on the perimeter.

But what if there was an option who played TE, but had skills of a WR on the trade block? And what if said option had long-standing ties to the Steelers' OC?

It appears that a man who checks both boxes could be for the taking, signaling an uncertain future for one recently drafted Steeler.

Steelers interested in acquiring Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith via trade

The Dolphins have had trade discussions with the Pittsburgh Steelers about their lone Pro-Bowl selection last season, tight end Jonnu Smith, per league sources. Those talks came after Smith expressed an interest in reworking his deal that is scheduled to pay him $4.8 million this season. With Smith seeking a new contract, Miami has sought a trade partner. Last season, Smith set the franchise record for a tight end in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. Smith’s preference, per sources, is to stay in Miami under a reworked deal.

- Adam Schefter, ESPN

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The reason this trade will happen is because of Steelers OC Arthur Smith. He is probably the biggest Jonnu Smith fan in the league, given the fact that he coached him with the Tennessee Titans and then signed him when he was HC of the Atlanta Falcons. And I don't say that as a slight to Jonnu Smith. He was a Pro Bowler in 2024, and is a dynamic option as a supercharged pass catcher from the in-line or flexed out position.

But the Steelers' TE room is one of the deepest in the league. Obviously, it's headlined by Pat Freiermuth, with Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, and Donald Parham behind him. This signals that the team wants to upgrade their pass-catching situation, given the little production that Washington has provided since being drafted in 2023. Add in the ties with Arthur Smith, and here we are. This could give Pittsburgh a receiving option they desperately need if they can pull off the trade.

Why would the Dolphins trade Smith?

Jonnu Smith's career trajectory may not be in line with where the Dolphins are headed. Miami has gone from one of the oldest rosters in football to one of the youngest in just one offseason and Smith will turn 30 years old in August. That, plus the presence of a few marquee younger talents in the skill room in Jaylen Waddle and De'Von Achane, may be prohibitive to Miami have an appetite to give Smith a new contract beyond 2025.

Achane will be extension eligible after this season and has commanded significant work as a receiver in addition to his work as a pass catcher. It's a surprising development for the Dolphisn given Smith's successes. But cashing out now while everything else this off-season has signaled the Dolphins are playing the long-game with this build does line up.

Kyle Crabbs, A to Z Sports