Steelers Expected To Make Extremely Notable Cap Move On Offense Before Free Agency Begins

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of critical decisions to make before the start of the 2026 NFL free agency period. Some of these decisions will ultimately influence other decisions due to the amount of cap space the Steelers have, and would stand to gain or lose based on said decisions. Releasing or trading certain players could end up resulting in a dead cap hit that prevents the franchise from having the money to re-sign key players that they would want to sign. All these decisions will have to be made by General Manager Omar Khan very soon, and we might have received word on one of these players.

Not every current player on the Steelers' roster will fit the scheme that new head coach Mike McCarthy will want to install. Some of these players will be allowed to hit the free agent market to make space for the players McCarthy would want, especially where the cap space is concerned.

On the latest episode of The North Shore Drive podcast, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo joined the show to discuss the things he heard at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, specifically the things Khan had said regarding the roster. While he was discussing the players Khan liked, especially regarding tight ends, Fittipaldo revealed one of the players he believes will become a cap casualty and be released fairly soon.

"Not good news for Jonnu Smith," Fittipaldo said. "I think we could probably chalk him up to be a cap casualty cut probably this week or early next week when free agency kicks off."

Khan had recently avoided talking about Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith at several instances during the Combine, which mixed with the trade rumors surrounding other members of that same position group, seems to indicate that Smith's time in Pittsburgh might be coming to an end soon.

With how ineffective Smith was in the Steelers' offense in 2025, a release would undoubtedly be one of the best moves the new leadership could make. Smith only had 222 receiving yards in 17 games, and only two touchdowns. Many fans argue that he received far more targets at inopportune times than he should have during the 2025 NFL season, which cost the Steelers momentum on offense multiple times. The release of Smith would likely not only be good for him, as he could go to a team where he could fit their scheme better, but it would likely benefit the Steelers and the highly talented tight ends already on the team.

However, releasing Smith might not be the only option the Steelers have. There is a possibility that the Steelers could end up trading Smith instead of cutting him, which would net them some additional draft compensation along with clearing his cap hit. While the idea of trading Smith seems unlikely at this point, there's still a scenario where this can happen, and the Black and Gold should make this a priority if another team comes calling about a tight end.

Seeing as cutting or trading Smith would result in clearing critical cap space, the Steelers will have plenty of options with the money they end up saving, and there's one major obstacle they can clear.

Steelers Can Use Cleared Cap Space To Re-Sign Critical Free Agents

With the Steelers in a tough position with being able to re-sign their best players who are currently free agents, cutting or trading Smith could free up the money to make this possible. In particular, the Steelers should use the money they end up saving on Smith to re-sign running back and 2025 Team MVP Kenneth Gainwell, seeing as the team is allowing him to test the free agent market. There are plenty of teams who would be interested in acquiring Gainwell, so extending him by any means necessary should be a priority for the Steelers. Even if this means they'd have to cut or trade Smith.

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