Tight end Jonnu Smith will be looking for a new team.
The Steelers are moving to release Smith in order to save $7 million against the cap, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday night.
The move would allow the Steelers to have around $50 million in cap space heading into free agency this offseason, according to Spotrac.
Smith, 30, arrived in Pittsburgh via a trade from Miami last June and played in all 17 games for the Steelers this season.
He had 38 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns, along with a rushing TD.
The move will allow Smith to become an unrestricted free agent and means he will be playing for his sixth team in his career, after spending time with the Steelers, Dolphins, Patriots and Titans.
Smith has played nine seasons in the NFL since the Titans drafted him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
In that time, he has racked up 114 receptions for 1,302 yards and 16 touchdown catches.
With Smith now on the way out, it would appear that tight end Pat Freiermuth will see his role expanded under new head coach Mike McCarthy.
Freiermuth saw a reduced role after Smith was acquired and had just 486 receiving yards and four touchdowns during the 2025 season, playing in just 51 percent of the offensive snaps, the lowest of his career.
In 2024, Freiermuth had 653 yards and seven touchdowns.
Along with Freiermuth, the Steelers still have tight end Darnell Washington under contract.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
