The Pittsburgh Steelers currently find themselves lacking offensive depth. With Steelers tight end Donald Parham Jr. suffering a heartbreaking injury that will cost him the entire 2025 season, Pittsburgh is expected to evaluate the current tight end position that is already on the roster. Parham Jr. was expected to be a solid contributor behind Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington this season, as the Steelers will now regroup and begin the search for another healthy weapon.
With multiple quality options remaining available on the trade market and in free agency, the Steelers are expected to come to a decision in the near future. Pittsburgh may opt to go with the talent that is already on the roster as well, as rookie tight end JJ Galbreath continues to turn heads and make an impact throughout the offseason. Galbreath, an undrafted tight end out of South Dakota, has reportedly been a major contributor throughout the early stages of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and may end up with a legitimate role on the Steelers' offense in 2025.
The 6'4", 240 pound tight end was a star on the college level, as the former Coyote was named an FCS All-American in 2024. Galbreath is credited with an extremely impressive Pro Day as well, where he posted a 4.67 second 40-yard dash time.
As Galbreath continues to turn heads throughout the course of camp, Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard was asked for his thoughts on the tight end's performance so far.
"That's the guy, man," Howard stated. "We have been doing a lot of work, us rookies together, walking through stuff after every practice, every rep that we don't get, making sure that we bang those out and like I said, mental reps, and yeah."
Howard then went on to speak about Galbreath's ability to get open, while also highlighting the performance of other rising stars on Pittsburgh's offense.
"I mean shoot, JJ has been getting open for me and Max has been doing some really good things. Montana [Lemonious-Craig] made a heck of a catch today, so yeah man, it's great."
Howard, who was selected in the sixth round of this year's NFL Draft out of Ohio State, is a promising rookie that is expected to get an opportunity in the future. The former Buckeye is a five-year college veteran, as he played a major role in Ohio State's National Championship run last season.
Despite Galbreath continuing to shine throughout the offseason, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his staff are expected to leave all options on the table and may take a deeper look at the trade and free agency market in the near future.
Steelers Expected To Add Playmaking Depth Prior To Training Camp
With Parham Jr. officially out for the season, the Steelers are expected to pursue a playmaker at either tight end or wide receiver. With multiple big names remaining available, the Steelers have recently been linked to Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith. Smith, who had a career year with the Miami Dolphins last season, is an elite tight end that would instantly add a major boost to an underwhelming Pittsburgh offensive unit.
While rumors around Smith continue to circulate in the NFL world, Pittsburgh is also expected to emerge as a suitor for free agent wide receiver Keenan Allen. Allen, a six-time Pro Bowler and 12-year veteran, is a dynamic wide out who is widely regarded as the top receiver still available. Allen may prove to be a contributor off the field as well, as the veteran would be an excellent mentor for both Calvin Austin lll and Roman Wilson.
With the start of mandatory minicamp starting this week, the Steelers are expected to continue monitoring Galbreath and the rest of the rookie class. Despite playing on the FCS level, Galbreath shined throughout his college career and very well may find himself fighting for Pittsburgh's TE3 role.
