Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Wednesday.
The Kickoff
The Pittsburgh Steelers have renewed their interest in Miami Dolphins’ tight end Jonnu Smith. Hours after it was made public over the weekend things cooled and appeared to be over. A report last evening however suggested the Steelers are once again in pursuit. Smith’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, made it clear that Smith’s priority was to stay in South Florida. He’s scheduled to make $4.8 million this season in the last of a two-year deal with the Fins but he’s also been clear about wanting a new deal. He set franchise records for receiving yards and reception in Miami in what was easily the best season of his career. Keep in mind that Smith has a long relationship with Steelers’ offensive coordinator Arthur Smith dating back to Tennessee and then Atlanta.
So What Would It Take?
Currently, the Black and Gold are projected to have 12 picks in the 2026 Draft including three in the third round. Most believe that stockpile would be used to move up and grab a franchise quarterback. Trading for Jonnu Smith would likely require a Day 2 pick if you’re the Dolphins while the Steelers will likely counter with a day three selection. The absolute latest is that Pittsburgh is not interested in trading for him. We heard that earlier in the week though too.
Parham’s Injury Doesn’t Factor In
Donald Parham went down yesterday during OTAs with a torn Achilles tendon. He will miss the 2025 season. Some are speculating that his injury is what renewed the Steelers’ pursuit of Smith but I don’t believe so. They started looking into him before Parham went down and I’m not all that confident Parham was going to make the roster anyway. There was some thought that Parham could actually see some time this season as a receiving option but that’s clearly no longer on the table.
Davis
The Steelers are entertaining free agent wide receiver Gabe Davis this week. This would be a classic Steelers’ signing. Davis is an excellent blocker who has questionable hands but he’s also going to be paid the minimum because Jacksonville is still the hook for a bag of money owed to Davis. And if the veteran walks after this season the Steelers could get a late round comp pick.
Ugh
I was compelled to write yesterday about the Steelers sending out an email to fans regarding the recent Trump rally. Steelers’ legend Rocky Bleier took the stage along with Mason Rudolph and Miles Killabrew. It’s my understanding the team was most concerned with Bleier’s claim that Trump was “now an honorary Steeler.” I’ll just leave it at that.
Veteran Presence
I also wrote yesterday about Darius Slay’s recent comments about the importance of being at OTAs. At 34, Slay’s best days may be behind him but his leadership is invaluable.
Random Reads
As is usually the case, we are seeing a slew of post June 1st retirements. From David Andrews in New England to Frank Ragnow in Detroit, these decisions are typically (not always) made in advance so the team can plan ahead… What in the Hell happened to Stefon Diggs? Curious to see how the NFL handles this one… From everything I’ve seen, read and been told, Roman Wilson is doing extremely well during OTAs. After a rookie season that saw him contribute nothing, the pressure is on him to live up to the hype… Deion Sanders claims to have been ‘hurt’ by the narratives surrounding his son Shedeur as he slid into the fifth round of the Draft. Clearly, all 32 teams (even the one that drafted him) had serious concerns about both his on-field performance and off-field attitude… Watching College Baseball these days is like watching Pro Wrestling… Apparently Pablo Torre and Bill Simmons sat down yesterday to discuss their “beef” about Torre’s coverage of Bill Belichick. WHO CARES?
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