TE Jonnu Smith ready for 3rd go-round with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith

Jonnu Smith flashed a smile last week when he was asked about his collaboration with Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

It’s a question Smith estimates he has answered a million times. From a four-year association with the Tennessee Titans to a 2023 season spent together on the Atlanta Falcons to a June trade that reunited them with the Steelers, the two Smiths keep finding their way back to one another.

“We’ve had a lot of success together,” Jonnu Smith said. “He’s going to continue to move that needle, bring the best out of you and demand the best from you. It’s why we get along so well.”

Smith, ironically, had his best NFL season when he and Arthur Smith were thousands of miles apart. Last year, the tight end’s first with the Miami Dolphins, he set career highs with 88 catches for 884 yards. He also tied his career best with eight touchdown receptions.

When the Steelers acquired Smith, along with cornerback Jalen Ramsey, from the Dolphins this summer, it wasn’t just to pair him again with his mentor. It was with the intention of helping Smith fill the void created when No. 2 wide receiver George Pickens was traded to Dallas.

Two months later, the results remain inconclusive. A knee injury kept Smith out for portions of training camp, and he didn’t play a single snap in the preseason. Smith has resumed practicing the past week, and he said last week that he expects to be ready for the season opener Sept. 7 against the New York Jets.

Still, even he doesn’t know how much he’ll contribute to the offense immediately, reciting one of coach Mike Tomlin’s favorite phrases.

“I’ll continue to jump on this moving train, and I’m just ready to get back,” he said. “I’m excited to be able to get back into it and hop on that moving train. It’s not ‘pick up where we left off’ because that train has been moving.”

The train continued down the track in the preseason without the participation of several key pieces of this year’s offense. Top receiver DK Metcalf didn’t play in the preseason per Tomlin’s decision to rest many of his starters. Calvin Austin III, the top holdover receiver from 2024, didn’t suit up, either, because of an abdominal injury.

Thanks to Jonnu Smith’s history with Arthur Smith, he at least understands the foundation of the Steelers offense, one that could rely heavily on multiple tight end formations.

“It’s a lot of same concepts from my entire time with Art,” Jonnu Smith said. “We’ve got a lot of playmakers in this system. Things are going to change, but my comfortability level is fairly good.”

Arthur Smith was a tight ends coach in Tennessee when the Titans used a third-round pick on the 6-foot-3, 248-pound pass catcher from Florida International. Two years later, Arthur Smith was promoted to offensive coordinator. In that second season, Jonnu Smith had eight touchdown catches — matching his total from his first three seasons combined — while setting career marks with 41 catches and 448 receiving yards.

After spending two years in New England, Smith was traded to Atlanta, where Arthur Smith was entering what would be his final year as head coach. That collaboration led to Jonnu Smith re-establishing his career bests with 50 catches and 582 yards.

“I trust his vision, I trust his football IQ,” Jonnu Smith. “He’s a guy who has been on both sides of the ball and has been able to see things from different perspectives. I’ve learned a lot from Art, and I’m excited to build on it.”

Yet, without Arthur Smith calling the plays in 2024, Jonnu Smith had a standout season that led to his first Pro Bowl selection. But unhappy with his contract, Smith skipped mandatory minicamp, which contributed to the Dolphins sending him to the Steelers.

“When Mike T brought it up to me, I went back and said I have a lot of history with him,” Arthur Smith said. “Here is how I’ve used him. Here is how he has grown as a player. It’s more about the fit if we get him.”

With the Steelers, Jonnu Smith is one of four tight ends on the roster, taking the spot of another Arthur Smith disciple, MyCole Pruitt, who wasn’t re-signed in the offseason. Jonnu Smith, though, is at the top of the pecking order, vying with Pat Freiermuth to occupy the top spot.

Arthur Smith deployed more multiple tight-end formations last season than any other NFL offensive coordinator. Expect that trend to continue with Jonnu Smith aboard that moving train.

“We’ve all got different skill sets and abilities,” Jonnu Smith said. “It comes down to the individual and how is he working on his craft and what’s he going to do to get better and fit into the system he’s in? We’ve all been at this level. We’ve all the ability. We’ve just got to prove it.”