A Letter From the Editor: Jonnu Smith could be the difference maker the Steelers need
Earlier this week the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins took part in one of the rare player-for-player trades anymore in the NFL when they sent Minkah Fitzpatrick back to the team who drafted him in 2018 in exchange for Jalen Ramsey. The trade caused a wide array of emotions from the Steelers fan base, and the focus on the defensive secondary has been strong.
How will the team manage the safety position without Minkah Fitzpatrick?
What will Jalen Ramsey be tasked with doing in the secondary which already has Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay on the depth chart?
These discussions are all well and good, but there was another facet of the trade which has been nothing more than a sidenote throughout the past week. That would obviously be the acquisition of tight end Jonnu Smith for a 2027 pick swap.
There are some who don’t consider this part of the trade to matter much, seeing it as nothing more than a blip on the proverbial radar. Well, as for me, I don’t view it that way. I see Smith as someone who isn’t just an Arthur Smith guy, but a player who is willing to do whatever he can to help the team win.
Smith posted this on his personal Twitter/X account when the news was made official:
Create your own narrative. Let’s get to it @steelers
⚫️🟡 pic.twitter.com/gIuqXH3efN— Jonnu Smith (@Easymoney_81) July 2, 2025
Sure, I’m a sucker for those types of videos, but the more and more I dug into the asset that is Jonnu Smith, the more I liked what he’ll bring to the Steelers offense in 2025.
Before you even think I’m suggesting the team should abandon their search for a true WR2, think again. I’m not suggesting that at all. That doesn’t mean I believe the team will make a signing at wide receiver before the start of the season, but I also don’t think acquiring Smith has them closing up shop on their wide receiver search. However, Smith’s presence on the field will help the offense if they are unable to find another wide receiver before the season starts.
Below is a video I saw on Twitter from a Dolphins account who was saying goodbye to Smith after the trade. The clips are all from the Dolphins game vs. the Raiders last season, but the outcome isn’t what is important.
Look at the plays, and Smith’s overall capabilities. He can run a variety of routes, lines up all over the field, and shows great awareness both catching the football and yards after the catch.
📊 Jonnu Smith in his sole season as a Miami Dolphin:
➖ 17 games
➖ 88 receptions (TE franchise record)
➖ 884 receiving yards (TE franchise record)
➖ 8 TDs (TE franchise record)
➖ 1x Pro BowlGreatest Tight End season in Miami Dolphins history. #PhinsUp https://t.co/kW3dPelTjI pic.twitter.com/qaw4P3viyf
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) June 30, 2025
To be blunt, Smith is a unique talent at tight end the Steelers haven’t had in a very long time, and that’s not a shot at Pat Freiermuth. Freiermuth absolutely will have a huge role on this team this season, but he also isn’t the athlete Smith is in a variety of ways.
What will be intriguing this season is how the offense will function with the likes of Smith, Freiermuth and Darnell Washington all in the fold for 2025. With a tight end room like that, you would expect a lot of 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TEs, 1 WR). Yes, its a Arthur Smith fever dream, but is Aaron Rodgers the quarterback to help run such an offense?
Rodgers historically likes to run more 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs), but the Steelers used 12 personnel significantly more last season. In 2024, the Steelers utilized 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) at a rate of 29%, which is a significant increase from 18% in 2023. Can Rodgers and Smith agree on personnel which they believe will help the offense succeed in 2025?
I think they can.
Smith is a versatile piece of the puzzle which will help a smart quarterback like Rodgers maximize his matchups based on pre-snap reads. If the Steelers throw DK Metcalf, Smith, Freiermuth, and Calvin Austin III out as their pass catching weapons, how they align, and by proxy how the defense adjusts, will help give Rodgers the green light for which matchup he wants to maximize.
While everyone is talking about the defensive secondary, and rightfully so, I believe the addition of Smith could be a difference maker for the offense in 2025. Don’t get things twisted, I am not suggesting the addition of Smith will equate in 30 points per game on average, but Smith on the field makes the Steelers significantly more difficult to defend than they were prior to the team’s trade with the Dolphins.
So, the next time you are talking with a Steelers fan who is talking solely about the acquisition of Ramsey, and the departure of Fitzpatrick, be sure to add how getting Jonnu Smith might be a very big addition to the offense in 2025, and possibly beyond.
Jonnu Smith was credited with picking up 55 first downs in 2024. I think that was 15th in the league and also a career best. But having another guy capable of moving the chains and continuing drives is never a bad thing.
Pat Freiermuth led the Steelers with 32 respectively. It isn’t bad for Muuuuuuth, who had a solid season. But when looking at the totality of the offense it does paint a bigger picture. The Steelers were dead last in receiving first downs at 158. They amassed 122 first downs on the ground. That’s 280 total first downs. Detroit led the league with 410.
I would caution that while this looks good on paper, Smith had a breakout season of sorts in 2024 with Miami. Career highs in receptions as well as targets and the above mentioned first downs picked up stat. There are no guarantees those stats will replicate themselves in 2025.
I concur that Pgh’s passing offense is nothing like Miami’s. AARod prefers not to employ motion, which often gave Jonnu time and space to operate. Jonnu also benefitted from poor overall WR play and an inconsistent running game.
Miami is also blessed with blazing speed from multiple sources. Hill Waddle and Achane,
can all stretch the field to provide open spaces for Smith to operate