Nov 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (81) runs the ball during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Steelers' Jonnu Smith Experiment One-And-Done?

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Dec 11, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers believed they took the Miami Dolphins for a ride when they swung a pair of deals with them in the offseason. Out went Minkah Fitzpatrick and a fifth-round draft pick and in came defensive back Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith.

At the time, it was a home run move for the Steelers. Yes, they lost a star in Fitzpatrick, but the return was two stars. It felt like the Steelers upgraded their offense and defense simultaneously.

Entering Week 15, and that home run feeling is gone. The Steelers are 7-6 and leading the AFC North, but they are an average team at best. Their defense is putrid and their offense is unimpressive. Part of the offense's failures is their inability to utilize their best playmakers, like Jonnu Smith. He's gone from a Pro Bowl tight end to a non-factor, and both his base salary and salary cap hit go up next season.

It's not Smith's fault, but the experiment in Pittsburgh has been a failure and they cannot afford to go into 2026 with him still on their roster.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Failure to Launch

The whole selling point of bringing Smith to Pittsburgh was reuniting the talented tight end with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The two worked together previously while Arthur was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and Jonnu posted over 500 yards receiving as a top passing threat.

This time around, however, the two Smith's failed to launch anything productive. Despite Jonnu spending a ton of time on the field, there is no effort to get him the ball in space. According to SumerSports, he's run the 27th-most routes among all NFL tight ends this season, but he ranks 42nd in receiving yards with just 190 yards.

And that's because the Steelers' entire play-calling for Jonnu consists of him staying near the line of scrimmage. According to game data from Pro Football Focus, 34 of his 44 targets and 28 of his 30 receptions have come either behind the line of scrimmage or within zero to nine yards of it. It's led to an average of 6.3 yards per reception, the lowest of his career, and 14.6 average yards per game, the lowest figure he's posted since his rookie campaign in 2017.

Tight Ends Locked In

Another factor in all of this is the fact that the Steelers already had a talented tight end group heading into 2025. With Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington leading the depth chart, the tight ends were already a mix of run-blocking help and threats in the passing game.

If Smith is gone in 2026, the tight end position remains exciting and diverse in terms of skillset. Add in players like Connor Heyward and any other 2026 draft pick that they might bring in, and that position is satisfactory.

The writing on the wall is clear for all to see. The Steelers took a huge swing this past offseason. At first, it looked like that swing was a home run and the ball was soaring over the fence. It's landing a bit short of the warning track, after all, and the organization can't repeat that same mistake next year.

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