Steelers Now
Newly acquired Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith is stoked to be a Steeler. He thinks it’s a perfect match.
“You check all the boxes,” Smith said recently on the Zach Smackz Show. “What more do you want? You basically check all the boxes. You’re going up there, like you said, to a historic franchise with a historic coach, with a historic QB, you know what I’m saying? If God ain’t have his hands on that, you know what I mean? To be in that position, I’m humbled, I’m honored. I’m ready to get up there and get to work.”
Smith revealed on Terron Armstead’s podcast earlier this month that he and Jalen Ramsey discussed landing with the Steelers prior to the blockbuster trade. Rumors were swirling in the last several weeks that the Miami Dolphins were looking to trade Ramsey and Smith.
“Me and [Jalen Ramsey] chopped it up before this happened,” Smith told Armstead. “We chopped it up before this happened. He obviously knew the situation that he was in in Miami and felt that it was time for him to move on. We chopped it up one-on-one about what potentially could be as rumors [were] floating around.”
The Steelers have made the playoffs in four of the last five years, but they have not won a playoff game in that span. Smith thinks he and Ramsey are the missing pieces to get the Steelers over the hump and make a run at a Super Bowl.
“We’re like, ‘Bro, if this thing really goes down, if this thing really happens, Pittsburgh is a team that’s historically going to be always be in the dance,’” Smith said. “It’s just maybe a couple missing pieces like us that can fill that void and get over that hump.”
Smith said he and Ramsey both shared a strong desire to play for Mike Tomlin. Smith also reunites with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Arthur Smith coached Jonnu Smith in both Tennessee and Atlanta.
“One thing that we both admired about the situation was the culture. The culture that Mike [Tomlin] established. I can’t wait to play for him,” Smith said.
Smith, 29, is coming off the best season of his eight-year NFL career. In 2024, he recorded a career-high 88 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. Smith was also named to his first Pro Bowl last season.
The Steelers agreed to give him a one-year, $12 million extension as part of the trade. Smith was scheduled to make just $4.8 million this season.
“I’m blessed. I’m a Steeler,” Smith said. “I’m playing for one of the most historic sports franchises in the history of sports. Under a great head coach with Mike [Tomlin]. Back with my guy Arthur Smith, who I’ve had a lot of success with in my career. And so I’m extremely blessed, bro. I couldn’t be more excited.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Jonnu Smith Reveals Reaction to Playing for Steelers: ‘You Check All the Boxes’
