The Pittsburgh Steelers set the sleepy football world on fire at the start of July by trading for DB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith. While Ramsey was the big name on the marquee, Jonnu Smith could have quite the impact on the Steelers. Former NFL coach Eric Mangini thinks Smith will be “the best part” of the Steelers-Dolphins trade.
While analyst Jason La Canfora may not go that far, he certainly thinks highly of the move.
“I do think the Jonnu Smith thing is a big deal,” La Canfora said recently on Wanna Bet? “He’s not just a throw-in. The trade got made because he’s in it. [Pat] Freiermuth is a plow horse. This guy is a little bit more of a matchup nightmare. Having those two on the field at the same time, I think, will open things up.”
How big of an addition is Jonnu Smith for the Steelers?@JasonLaCanfora thinks he’ll be a game changer for that offense: https://t.co/y4e4XjQ6CL pic.twitter.com/VAMDoMHsiA
— Wanna Bet? (@WannaBetWithUs) July 8, 2025
Jonnu Smith certainly was a nightmare for opposing defenses in 2024 with the Miami Dolphins. He posted career-highs in catches (88), yards (884), and touchdowns (8). Ironically enough, his 10 yards-per-catch was the third lowest in his career. But overall, Smith was an offensive weapon, second in targets on the Dolphins behind WR Tyreek Hill.
And the Steelers certainly needed more help on the offense, at least when it comes to catching the ball. They had WR DK Metcalf and TE Pat Freiermuth, and that was about it for experienced pass-catchers not at the tail end of their careers. It makes sense that Jonnu Smith would be a big part of the trade.
And it’s easy to see that Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth will be on the field a lot together, as well. I don’t know if I would necessarily describe Freiermuth as a “plow horse” as La Canfora does, but there is no question that Smith was a much more dynamic receiving threat last year.
Then there’s the Arthur Smith factor. Arthur Smith was Jonnu Smith’s offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans in 2019 and 2020, then his head coach with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. There is a lot of familiarity there.
The question is whether Jonnu Smith will have the sort of impact in Pittsburgh that he did in Miami last year. Last year exceeded his most catches by 30. Heck, it was the first time in his career he saw more than 70 targets (111).
What we do know is that the Steelers were linked to Smith for some time. And, according to Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers are quite happy to have him on board. Perhaps having two quality receiving options at tight end to pair with Metcalf will certainly open things up for the Steelers’ offense.
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