It has been a chaotic offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who continue to wait with bated breath for Aaron Rodgers to officially announce his intention to play another season in the NFL. In the meantime, Omar Khan and the front office have been unafraid to shuffle the deck a bit offensively.
Pittsburgh made one of the first big splashes of the offseason back in March, trading for disgruntled Seattle Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf. Then, in advance of the NFL Draft, Pittsburgh cut ties with George Pickens, sending the highly talented and equally controversial pass-catcher to the Dallas Cowboys.
With the WR room in flux, the Steelers have another pass-catcher on their radar: Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Steelers express trade interest in Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith
This would be a reunion of sorts, as Smith spent time with current Steelers OC Arthur Smith in both Tennessee and Atlanta. The veteran tight end made his first career Pro Bowl in 2024, racking up 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns for a oft-shorthanded Dolphins offense.
Last season was more or less a disaster for the Dolphins, riddled by injuries and flushed with drama. But amid all the chaos, Smith turned in his best season to date, even with a healthy chunk of games featuring Skyler Thompson and Scoop Huntley at quarterback.
Some of this was circumstantial, as both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle missed time, but Smith — who topped his career-high mark for targets by 41 (!!!) — clearly established chemistry with a tumultuous Dolphins QB room.
Built like a tank at 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, Smith has occupied many different roles over the years, most notoriously as Atlanta's more dependable Kyle Pitts alternative in 2023. Arthur Smith "loves" Jonnu Smith, per ESPN's Field Yates, and not just because they share a last name. Arthur tends to spread the wealth and lean on his utility players more than your average offensive coordinator; Jonnu can block, screen or fly over the middle of the field for a chunk gain. He's a major athlete and he's malleable within his role, something the Steelers ought to appreciate.
Pittsburgh can use all the pass-catching help it can get to supplement DK Metcalf after the George Pickens trade. The Steelers aren't exactly hurting in the tight end room — both Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are useful, or at least moderately interesting in the long term — but Smith outshined both last season and he's intimately familiar with the Arthur Smith playbook. Their interest isn't too hard to understand.