The Pittsburgh Steelers have shocked fans this offseason with some of the moves they've made, and more so with the ones they haven't. Fans, who were outraged by the end-of-season slump, wanted sweeping changes, heads to roll, and a blood sacrifice to be made. However, none of that happened, and so far, the offseason has been a big wah-wah-wah of disappointment. There was one move that seemed to come as a shock to no one.
The one move that seemed to shock no one was the release of outside linebacker Preston Smith. The Steelers are expected to make several moves like the Smith release that help free up even more cap space to fill the numerous holes on their roster. Smith was a trade deadline acquisition that involved giving the Green Bay Packers a seventh-round pick.
While the veteran linebacker showed talent, he came with a nearly $13.5 million cap hit for 2025 and one of over $14 million for 2026. By releasing him now, they will not owe him that money. Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show was asked about Smith while on The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan. Jason Mackey, the show's guest host, inquired why the team didn't utilize Smith more, saying it felt like they didn't get much out of the trade.
"They acquired him because he was cheap, and they knew they wanted experience at that position," explained Kaboly. "At that point, they thought they were going to go on a run here. The second half of the season, if [Alex] Highsmith was gonna get hurt, and if [TJ] Watt was gonna get hurt and [Nick] Herbig might have been hurt at the time, they would have had a veteran guy in there. They had never once had the thought of bringing him back this year, at that salary. At that point, it was a good fit. Unfortunately for Preston Smith, they didn't need him down the stretch. When you make those type of moves, you're thinking, you're not going to lose five in a row to end your season."
Kaboly added that Smith was an insurance policy. He pointed out that TJ Watt battled injuries in recent seasons. In addition, Alex Highsmith had already dealt with a groin injury in Week 3, and Nick Herbig was out with a hamstring injury leading up to the trade deadline. They elevated two linebackers from the practice squad, Adetokunbo Ogundeji, and Eku Leota, and while they performed admirably, the Steelers were headed into their toughest stretch of the season. They saw how challenging things were when they lacked another veteran linebacker and chose to take out an insurance policy with Smith.
Smith, a former second-round pick, was in his 10th season when he arrived in Pittsburgh. He had requested a trade from the Packers. He knew his playing time depended on how quickly Herbig returned from his injury. Smith was hungry and wanted to prove himself to both the Steelers and the rest of the league. Unfortunately, luck didn't bounce his way on this, and it limited his snap count.
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Since being drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round of 2017, Watt has steadily improved. Once predicted not to be nearly as good as his older brother, JJ Watt, the younger Watt is giving him a run for his money.
While rumors have been flying that the Steelers should trade Watt for several draft picks to help rebuild the team, most insiders believe that's never going to happen. Watt is expected to be a one-helmet guy like his teammate Cameron Heyward.
Watt is set to be a free agent in 2026, but the organization is expected to work out an extension with him before the season starts. However, that will likely mean he won't be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL when it is done.
