The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the deepest and most expensive tight ends rooms in the league—a direct result of having Arthur Smith’s TE-heavy offense the last two seasons. Now that he’s gone, and with shifting priorities, how will the Steelers handle Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith?
According to The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo, at least one has received interest on the trade market.
“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,” DeFabo wrote. “Fellow tight end Jonnu Smith’s situation seems a bit more fluid.”
I asked GM Omar Khan how he feels about the return on investment for Freiermuth after giving him a four-year, $48.4 million contract two offseasons ago. He avoided the return on investment portion of the question but said that the Steelers “paid Pat for a reason,” and that he represents the franchise well.
Freiermuth only had 54 targets last season and caught 41 of them for 486 yards and four TDs. Other than his injury-shortened 2023 season, it was his least productive season to date.
A new coaching staff will make a big difference in the way their personnel is used, but it’s still a crowded room at the moment with too many mouths to feed.
“The Steelers are still in the process of understanding what a changing offensive philosophy will mean for personnel,” DeFabo wrote. “Freiermuth and Smith were willing to be team-first players last year. But if both remain on the roster this year, would the Steelers be able to keep both happy?”
Smith went from 884 yards and eight TDs with the Miami Dolphins in 2024 to 222 yards and two TDs in 2025 with the Steelers. It was one of the least efficient seasons for any eligible receiver in the entire NFL.
Due a $7 million base salary for 2026, the cap savings make moving Smith an attractive option. But the new coaching staff could also decide he was woefully misused and seek to keep him in Pittsburgh. With Darnell Washington also in the fold, one of Freiermuth or Smith are likely to be off the roster by the start of the 2026 season.
The Steelers may say he’s not available now but pay close attention to Freiermuth as he continues to draw interest around the league.
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