Steelers Cap Casualty Now Considered Trade Option With Multiple Interested Teams

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of work to do as they look to free agency. There are plenty of players on both sides of the ball whose futures will need to be decided, with some of these decisions seeming more like an inevitability than others. Part of the decision making behind which player to extend or let test the market in free agency is also strategical, as the team will need to make moves that free up their cap space, which can involve outright releasing players. One of these players, interestingly enough, might end up garnering some attention from other teams, making a trade possible.

The player in question is Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith. Smith was acquired via trade last season and currently holds an approximately $10 million hit in cap space, and considering just how subpar his level of play was last season, the Steelers are likely to explore any and all options to moving off of his contract and free up the necessary cap space. However, it seems as if the Steelers might end up having some teams be curious about trading for Smith after all.

Should the Steelers decide to trade Smith instead of cutting him, it's likely that they could end up receiving a late-round pick in return, while still saving around $7 million in cap space. This return on cap space would be around the same as it would be if the Steelers released Smith, which makes the idea of trading for Smith all the more enticing. There are a few teams around the league who could end up making the most out of Smith should they trade for him, and it would be likely that three teams in particular could end up calling the Steelers about him.

1.) New York Giants

The New York Giants make a lot of sense with regards to trading for Smith. They could desperately use a veteran on their offense, along with someone that can serve as a backup tight end to help facilitate their offense. The Giants suffered a lot of injuries throughout the 2025 NFL season, and as these players continue to heal, the Giants could look to teams trying to dump players for an extensive cap hit. Their offense would immediately find stability along the tight end position by acquiring Smith, and likely wouldn't have to pay him much due to the down year he had in 2025.

2.) Kansas City Chiefs

There's no telling what will happen with the Kansas City Chiefs and their offense during this offseason. Should their superstar tight end Travis Kelce decide to retire, the Chiefs become depleted at a critical position on offense. Should they be unable to find other suitors or promote their other tight ends in-house to the starting role, it's likely they could call the Steelers to inquire about Smith. Trading him to the Chiefs would be a good move for him, as he would fit in very well within their offense as they look to rebound from a dismal 2025.

3.) Washington Commanders

The reasoning behind why the Washington Commanders could end up trading for Smith is similar to why the Chiefs would make this move. The Commanders are waiting to hear about their current tight end Zach Ertz, who is not only a free agent this season, but also coming off a torn ACL suffered during the 2025 NFL season. The Commanders would be able to revitalize their tight end room by trading for Smith, inserting him into an offense that has the potential to take off and become a serious threat in the NFC. 

Steelers Should Make The Trade A Priority

Seeing as the Steelers would inevitably save the same amount of money on the cap by trading Smith compared to cutting him, it makes no sense for the Steelers to just up and cut him. Getting as much value out of their departing players should be the priority, and if a seventh-round pick is the most they can get for Smith, that's better than nothing. The Steelers need to find a team willing to make this happen to gain valuable draft picks that could be used in a bigger trade later on.

Who do you think could trade for Smith and should the Steelers go this route?

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