Less than one calendar year after acquiring him via trade from the Miami Dolphins, the Pittsburgh Steelers have released TE Jonnu Smith. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Smith was being released.
Steelers are releasing tight end Jonnu Smith, per sources. The move will save the Steelers $7 million against the cap and Smith now will become an unrestricted free agent. pic.twitter.com/KEMIFKg9jQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2026
The Steelers acquired Smith after he came off a Pro Bowl campaign in 2024 with the Miami Dolphins, catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. He was unable to replicate that success in Pittsburgh, where he reunited with his former head coach with the Atlanta Falcons and offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans, Arthur Smith. Jonnu caught just 38 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in his lone season in Pittsburgh. Statistically, it was one of the worst outputs by a tight end in the modern era.
He struggled to build chemistry with Aaron Rodgers throughout the year, and he also struggled as a blocker. While he still saw the field often, Smith failed to produce enough, and it’s no surprise that the Steelers are moving on. In releasing Smith, the Steelers will save $7 million against the salary cap before roster displacement, while incurring a dead money charge of $3,872,500, per OverTheCap.
In free agency, Smith will be looking for his sixth team. He began his career with the Titans, spending four seasons in Tennessee before leaving via free agency to join the New England Patriots. He underwhelmed in two seasons with the Patriots, but got his career back on track after reuniting with Arthur Smith in Atlanta via trade in 2023. He then signed with the Dolphins in 2024 and had a career year, and was acquired by Pittsburgh along with Jalen Ramsey via trade in June.
The Steelers’ tight end room was crowded, but Smith was still expected to make more of an impact, and he was still getting snaps over Pat Freiermuth late in the season. The Steelers also used Smith as a running back at times, as he had 9 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown in Week 15 against the Dolphins, his former team.
The Steelers still have Freiermuth and Darnell Washington under contract, and the team will likely look to re-sign TE Connor Heyward, a pending free agent. Tight end is low on the team’s list of needs, even after moving on from Smith. His acquisition was one that just simply didn’t work out as the Steelers tried to bolster their passing attack, and now he’ll try to revive his career elsewhere.
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