Steelers Get Bold Assessment From Ben Roethlisberger After Trading For Jonnu Smith

It has been fun for the Pittsburgh Steelers' fan base throughout the 2025 offseason. The team has actively been upgrading the roster, but not through the old school, traditional channels. General Manager Omar Khan has led the league's most aggressive front office in recent months, which has led to blockbuster trades and surprising decisions. The organization has not won a playoff game since the 2016 campaign, and it appears as if the decision-makers in the building are fed up with that fact. There is no rebuild in sight, as all of the exciting headlines have indicated that the franchise wants to win now.

Many believed that Khan would finally settle after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, but just before the month of July began, he was involved in another blockbuster deal. This time, the Steelers acquired both Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins, which ended up sending Minkah Fitzpatrick back to the team that drafted him.

While losing Fitzpatrick isn't being looked at as ideal, Ramsey will be an incredible addition to a veteran-led defensive unit. It might be, however, that the bigger acquisition is the offensive weapon in Smith. Ben Roethlisberger spoke about the trade on the most recent episode of his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, and he believes that adding another tight end was an awesome move.

"I think it's Jonnu Smith, the tight end that comes in, to me, that might be the bigger deal," Roethlisberger said. "I'm not taking anything away from Ramsey, [but Smith] is kind of a special talent. He's a dude that can really open up a field. He's a wide receiver playing tight end kind of guy. You put him opposite [Pat] Freiermuth, I know you got Mount [Darnell] Washington, but what [Smith] brings could be something really cool."

Roethlisberger joked about being a little biased because a tight end can be a quarterback's best friend, but Smith is a little bit different than anything the Steelers currently have at the position. Pat Freiermuth will still likely be atop the depth chart, but no one should be surprised when the two are on the field together for the majority of offensive snaps.

The Steelers are still expected to be a run-first team, but there are now more play-makers on offense than there have been in the last couple of years. It will be imperative for all of them to see a little bit of action, but overall, Smith can only bring good things to a unit that needs to score more points in 2025. Darnell Washington could also be used in the red zone due to his massive size advantage.

Khan made a strong statement with the acquisition of Ramsey and Smith, as the organization solved a couple of needs in one deal. The loss of Fitzpatrick cannot be ignored, but the team likely has some kind of plan to fill that void. Smith is coming off of a phenomenal 2024 campaign, as he hauled in 88 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. That's the exact type of production the Steelers needed.

Time will tell if both of the newly-acquired players can become fan favorites, but it will be important to perform on the field immediately to earn the respect of Pittsburgh's loyal fan base. It has been a while since the team was victorious in the postseason, so Khan has felt the need to swing big throughout the offseason.

Steelers' Offense Has The Chance To Be Very Dynamic In 2025

With all of the new pieces, and the addition of four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh could have a dangerous offensive unit in 2025. Play-calling will be key, but there's no doubt that there are a ton of talented guys that will be in the huddle. The addition of Smith only brings more to the group, which is why Roethlisberger really seems to like the acquisition.