Ahead of the 2025 season, Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers made a splash, acquiring Jonnu Smith, Jalen Ramsey, and a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. On paper, Smith’s arrival looked like it added depth to the tight end room. In reality, it created congestion. He stepped into a unit that was already crowded.

That’s why The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo believes the Steelers, now led by head coach Mike McCarthy, could move on from Smith in the 2026 offseason, either via a trade or simply releasing him. The logic isn’t complicated. Smith joined a room that already featured Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, and Connor Heyward.

And he wasn’t coming off a down year. He arrived in Pittsburgh fresh off a career-best 2024 season with the Miami Dolphins, posting 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns across 17 games. The expectation was impact. Instead, 2025 became about split snaps.

The decline wasn’t about talent, nor was it necessarily a reflection of Arthur Smith’s offensive structure. It was about opportunity. With snaps divided across multiple tight ends, production dipped across the board. After earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2024, Smith’s numbers fell to 38 receptions for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He logged just 52% of the offensive snaps during the regular season.

Freiermuth followed a similar arc. He closed 2024 with 65 catches for 653 yards and seven touchdowns, consistently playing between 62–69% of snaps during his first four seasons. In 2025, that share dropped to 51%, as he finished his fifth year in Pittsburgh with 35 receptions for 372 yards and four touchdowns.

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Washington didn’t experience a statistical falloff, but the snap distribution still shifted. He improved from 25 receptions for 200 yards and one touchdown in 2024 to 31 receptions for 364 yards and one score. Even so, the crowded room altered how the offense deployed its tight ends.

In short, carrying multiple high-level tight ends, including two of the league’s 10 highest-paid players at the position in Smith and Freiermuth, created diminishing returns. The talent didn’t disappear. The opportunities did. That’s why DeFabo suggests Smith could thrive elsewhere in an offense where he commands a larger share of snaps.

Under McCarthy in Pittsburgh, that path doesn’t appear clear. Per DeFabo, if the Steelers can’t find a trade partner, the more practical move could be to release Smith and clear $7 million off his $10.9 million cap hit.

Jonnu Smith could be the easiest cut for Mike McCarthy’s Steelers

Jonnu Smith arrived in Pittsburgh with built-in familiarity. The veteran tight end had previously worked with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith during stops with the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons. But that connection doesn’t necessarily guarantee job security in 2026. At least, that’s the growing buzz around the league, and it’s not hard to see why.

For starters, the Steelers are in a strong salary-cap position. Per Over The Cap, Pittsburgh currently sits at roughly $45 million in available space. That flexibility gives Mike McCarthy’s team room to reshape the roster this offseason, including potential veteran cuts. And Smith’s name has surfaced squarely in that conversation.

After an underwhelming year, moving on from the tight end wouldn’t create major financial complications. For context, Smith signed a one-year extension following last offseason’s trade, a deal worth $12.01 million. According to Over The Cap, he’s due a $7 million base salary in 2026, along with a prorated signing bonus of $3.873 million.

With that structure in mind, whether via trade or release (pre- or post-June 1), the Steelers would clear $7 million in cap space while absorbing $3.873 million in dead money. As it stands, finding a trade partner appears unlikely. If that holds, the cleaner path may simply be a release. And if that’s the direction Pittsburgh chooses, clarity should come sooner rather than later.