Many believed that the Pittsburgh Steelers were done creating headlines after signing four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers to a contract in June, but that was far from true. The team's front office went on to deal Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins in a move that saw both Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith land in the Steel City. It will be interesting to see how the newcomers perform once the regular season kicks off in early September, but some may be a bit worried about the status of the veteran tight end in Smith. He has not practiced all that much throughout training camp.
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Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey runs on the field as the team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The Steelers' offense is a bit of a mystery because of how many moving parts there have been during the course of the 2025 offseason. Rodgers, Smith, DK Metcalf and Kaleb Johnson are all fresh faces in Pittsburgh, which adds plenty of intrigue to the unit's potential. If Smith's injury is more serious than the team is letting on, however, that could lead to a bad start for the group.
During a recent appearance on The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller, team reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Brian Batko, was asked about Smith and his lack of participation in practices recently. While one could assume that it may be due to the veteran simply resting, there is a certain nature to a potential injury that is a little bit concerning.
"Yeah, I think lingering is probably a good word for it," Batko said. "I remember back on the first day of training camp, he wasn't in uniform, and I heard some rumblings then that it was a knee thing, so maybe they're just being safe with that. He was out there [on Monday], at least in the individual portions of which we can take photo and video in the media, so I can say that."
While it's good news that Smith is working out to some extent, he has missed a lot of time, and rapport being built with Rodgers is pivotal as the regular season rapidly approaches. The word "lingering" can be categorized as worrisome, because NFL players oftentimes have specific ailments resurface if they are not fully healthy. It will absolutely be something to pay attention to when the Steelers release their first injury report ahead of a Week 1 contest against the New York Jets.
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Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith gets some work in as the team participates in a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
It's fair to observe that the Steelers could simply be taking a cautious approach to a veteran player's alleged knee injury, but it will start to be looked at as problematic if he is questionable as the first game of the regular campaign nears. Smith is supposed to work well in a one-two punch with Pat Freiermuth, but the effective usage of the pair of tight ends will only work if both are completely healthy.
Pittsburgh had a very detailed approach throughout the offseason and the goal was clearly to get as many weapons around Rodgers as possible. Smith is coming off of the best season of his career, hauling in 88 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns in Miami. He could be viewed as even better as Freiermuth, but the two of them both on the field at the same time will cause headaches for opposing defenses. The hope is that this "lingering" issue is over with before the Jets matchup.
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Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) jogs on the field with a football as the team works out during a 2025 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers' Offense Could Be Most Important Piece To Team's 2025 Success
While the defense is expected to win Pittsburgh games from time to time, the AFC is stacked with offensive powerhouses. To keep up with some of the more talented rosters throughout the conference, it will be very pivotal for the Rodgers-led group to take a step up from what has been a subpar product on the field from the Steelers in recent years. Smith is a very big part of the puzzle, so his absences are worth noting.
Do you think that the Steelers are hiding something about Smith's injury? Let us know in the comments below!
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