In the NFL, sometimes addition by subtraction is the clearest path forward. The Pittsburgh Steelers just made that philosophy clear, as one tight end’s departure paves the way for another’s resurgence. On March 4, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers are releasing tight end Jonnu Smith, according to a league source, marking the team’s first major roster move of the offseason.

“Jonnu Smith being released seemingly affirms the Steelers’ commitment to moving forward with Pat Freiermuth. The two were somewhat redundant in the tight end room last season, and it led to a smaller role for Freiermuth a season after his extension,” ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported via X on March 4.

As per OverTheCap, cutting Jonnu Smith saves $7 million against the salary cap for the Steelers, though the team will absorb $3.9 million in dead money. The Steelers already have more than $40 million in cap space for 2026, so money likely wasn’t the main motivation in releasing Smith. Instead, the move looks more like a strategic roster adjustment after Pittsburgh had an unusually crowded tight end room last season. 

Pittsburgh acquired Smith last offseason in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins that involved a swap featuring cornerback Jalen Ramsey and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. With the trade, the Steelers had hoped that Jonnu Smith would thrive in a system designed by former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who had a history of relying heavily on tight ends in his offensive schemes. 

Jonnu Smith entered the NFL as a third-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2017 draft and spent four seasons there before moving on to the New England Patriots and later the Atlanta Falcons. Before arriving in Pittsburgh, he also played for the Dolphins, where he enjoyed the best season of his career in 2024, recording 884 receiving yards and scoring eight touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl selection. However, things didn’t unfold the same way in Pittsburgh.

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Last year, the Steelers were loaded at the TE position with Jonnu Smith, Freiermuth, Connor Heyward, and Darnell Washington all being versatile players. While Smith has a $10.9 million cap hit this year, the Steelers have also invested heavily in Freiermuth in 2024 by signing him to a four-year, $48.4 million extension deal. Carrying two of the league’s highest-paid tight ends on the same roster quickly proved difficult to manage for the Steelers. 

With Freiermuth and Washington still under contract, and Arthur Smith now working at Ohio State, Jonnu Smith eventually became expendable. During last week’s NFL Combine, Steelers general manager Omar Khan had already reassured reporters about Freiermuth’s role in his team’s offense. Add in the public support Freiermuth received from veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Jonnu Smith’s release felt inevitable.

Aaron Rodgers praises Freiermuth despite limited role in Steelers offense

When the Steelers brought in Jonnu Smith last year, the move was supposed to strengthen the team’s pass-catching unit. Instead, it seemed to reduce Pat Freiermuth’s role in the Steelers’ offense, while Smith could not even match his production from Miami. In the 2025 season, Smith recorded just 222 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 38 receptions, which was less than half of what he produced the previous season in Miami. 

Meanwhile, Pat Freiermuth finished the 2025 season with 486 receiving yards and 4 TDs after posting 653 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2024. Even more concerning was that Freiermuth played just 51% of offensive snaps in 2025, which was the lowest rate of his NFL career since the Steelers drafted him back in 2021. Despite that limited role for Freiermuth in his team’s offense, Aaron Rodgers publicly praised the TE for how he handled the situation.

“Aaron Rodgers calls Pat Freiermuth a ‘true professional’ for the BS he put up with last year, not being more involved in the Steelers offense. Amen to that,” 93.7 The Fan podcast’s host Andrew Fillipino noted via X on March 4.

Freiermuth is set to carry an $11.2 million cap hit this year and will receive a roster bonus if he remains in Pittsburgh by March 13. At the moment, it looks certain that Freiermuth will remain in Pittsburgh, but recent reports suggest that some NFL teams are still trying to acquire the TE. 

“At least six teams would be interested in exploring the idea of acquiring tight end Pat Freiermuth, according to a league source. However, at least right now, teams are being told he’s not available,” The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reported in a recent article.

The Steelers’ tight end has also reportedly expressed frustration with his limited role last season, which isn’t surprising. But the Steelers have made their stance clear: they are not looking to move on from Pat Freiermuth. With Smith gone, the front office has removed any ambiguity, clearing the way for Freiermuth to once again become the undisputed top tight end the team envisioned when they gave him his extension