The Pittsburgh Steelers are most of the way through the first part of the offseasonleading up to the draft. Before we get there, we’re going totake stock of how the roster has evolved over the past several weeks. Position by position, we’ll break down who’s coming and going and what’s next for those rookies and those already here.
Position: Tight End
Total Positional Figure: 3
Offseason Additions: 0
Offseason Deletions: 2
Players Retained:
Pat Freiermuth: The Steelers drafted Freiermuth to be their tight end of the future, but they haven’t always used him effectively. Last year featured a substantial underutilization, which perhaps they intend to correct this season. While a heavy focus on Darnell Washington was one matter, the big issue was Jonnu Smith. He ate into far too many of Freiermuth’s snaps, and it’s no surprise that he is off the roster now.
Darnell Washington: The Steelers love a big tight end, and they don’t come bigger than Darnell Washington. A self-admitted potential future tackle, he can certainly throw his weight around. While he has been more active as a receiver, the Steelers primarily value him as a blocking tight end. It would be interesting to find out what his agent says to the front office when they work on a contract extension.
JJ Galbreath: There was some buzz about this Steelers rookie tight end last year, a college free agent. The team trading for Smith blew up any notion of him making the 53-man roster, but he stuck to the practice squad. Now one of three tight ends the Steelers still have, there may be a very real shot for him.
Players Added: N/A
Players Deleted:
Jonnu Smith: A Pro Bowler in 2024, the Steelers added Smith to their tight end room via the trade that also brought Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh. But there’s a reason they released him this offseason. And it’s not just because Mike Tomlin resigned and former OC Arthur Smith departed with him. Even without any coaching changes, it’s strongly likely he would be gone. He just had far too big a financial imprint for the impact he delivered on offense. And it’s telling that he has had no nibbles from other teams.
Connor Heyward: After four years with the Steelers, Connor Heyward said goodbye to the team that was never quite sure how to use the nominal tight end. Signing with the Raiders, it appears he is set to take on the role of fullback. A core special teams player, his work there is something Pittsburgh now must replace.
Notes And Draft Outlook:
Considering the Steelers lost half of their tight end room, calling it a draft priority is a given. While they have a very robust pair in Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, the position is prone to injury. I don’t know that they would draft a first-round tight end—unless they’re preparing to move on from one of their current players—but it’s really a position that they could address at any point. And Galbreath will have a chance to state his case in Latrobe—but he’d better do it on special teams.
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