The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 season was a tumultuous journey, marked by a series of missteps that ultimately led to their early playoff exit. Among these blunders, the acquisition and utilization of tight end Jonnu Smith stands out as a particularly costly mistake. But here's where it gets controversial: the Steelers' fascination with Smith throughout the season was mind-boggling, especially when compared to the underutilization of Pat Freiermuth, their more effective and versatile tight end.
Smith, who was acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins, was brought in to provide receiving options alongside DK Metcalf. However, his performance was underwhelming, finishing the regular season with a mere 222 receiving yards, his lowest full-season contribution since his rookie year in 2017. What's more, Smith's 4.1 yards per target ranked as the worst among all tight ends in the NFL since 2019, according to The Score. This was a stark contrast to Freiermuth, who, despite being a less-than-stellar blocker, averaged a career-high 9 yards per target and was targeted 54 times, the second-lowest total of his career.
The Steelers' mismanagement of their tight end position is near the top in terms of the most senseless and frustrating. While the team did a nice job of correcting other mistakes, such as rebuilding the secondary on the fly, their failure to recognize and address the issues with Smith is unforgivable. The head coach, Mike Tomlin, and offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, both failed to pull the plug on Smith when it was clear he wasn't working out, instead leaving Freiermuth, a more effective receiver and blocker, on the sideline.
The Steelers' obsession with Smith was mind-boggling, especially when compared to the underutilization of Freiermuth. Every time Smith was on the field, a better player was on the sideline. Every time the Steelers targeted Smith, they had a better option. This is not to put the blame solely on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who, despite not having a lot of say in where the ball goes, was unable to get Freiermuth more involved in the offense.
The Steelers' failure to recognize and address the issues with Smith is a testament to their mismanagement of the tight end position. The acquisition of Smith was a failure, but when taken in context with the rest of the offseason, it was a forgivable one. However, the unwillingness of Arthur Smith to pull the plug on Smith, and Tomlin's inability to see his coordinator's blind spot, is unforgivable. The Steelers suffered as a result, and the team's fans are left wondering what could have been if the right decisions had been made.
