Omar Khan Repeatedly Dodges Questions About Steelers' Obvious Cap Casualty Jonnu Smith

The Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan have some important decisions to make when it comes to the roster in Pittsburgh for the 2026 season. There are some contractual decisions to make on pending free agents and guys that are eligible for an extension, while there are also some players who should probably be released after tough years in 2025. Players that fall into this category would be ones that would save the Steelers money against the cap in 2026 that also did not necessarily meet expectations with their play in 2025.

Pittsburgh has a few clear and obvious cap casualties that should be made without hesitation, and that includes tight end Jonnu Smith. He didn't play well in 2025, he isn't living up to his contract, and Pittsburgh is also really strong at the tight end position. The tight end caught 38 passes for just over 200 yards and two touchdowns during the 2025 season, and he is scheduled to make over $10 million in 2026. Khan held a press conference on Tuesday, and he was repeatedly asked about the tight end's future in Pittsburgh.

Khan seems to be confident with where the organization is at when it comes to cap space, which likely means that no major additions are going to be made during the 2026 offseason. That is probably a good thing, but there still is no reason to bring Smith back into the fold. The organization can save money, and it would also open the offense back up for Pat Freiermuth.

Khan is happy welcoming all veterans back, as the Steelers are still projected to be top ten in available cap space. It isn't necessary for a bunch of releases to be made, but it wouldn't be a bad move. Patrick Queen is another name to watch, but Khan made it clear the organization would like him back. The executive spoke more on the cap situation.

"We're in good cap shape," Khan said. "So, we have the flexibility to maybe do some things that might not be normal in people's eyes. The key is just to keep as many of our good players under contract and locking them up. That's important. I truly believe we have a good, young nucleus of guys that are deserving of second contracts."

Pittsburgh is focused on locking up its young talent, and that would include Joey Porter Jr., Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington and potentially Keeanu Benton as all four of those players are eligible for extensions. Smith's cap number in 2026 would not affect any of their extensions, which is probably why the team seems content with keeping him around. Khan could also be trying to build up his value so that some other franchise might come along and try to trade for him.

Steelers Have No Use For Jonnu Smith

The Steelers truly have no need for Smith, especially if the organization decides to bring back Connor Heyward. Freiermuth is a great starting tight end when given the proper looks, while Washington is a complete anomaly in the NFL. The organization thinks highly of him, and that leaves Smith as the odd man out. Pittsburgh cannot have Smith on the roster with a cap hit of over $10 million, and a move must be made in that regard, regardless of whether or not Khan is happy with the current amount of cap space the organization has.

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