I was equally confused and intrigued when I heard rumblings that the Pittsburgh Steelers were running 04 personnel during team periods. If you have not heard yet, I am not joking. This formation consists of zero running backs and four tight ends on the field for the Steelers’ offense.
Steelers run 04 personnel in the team period. Jonnu Smith in the backfield and the Steelers toss it to him. Wild formation and play.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) July 31, 2025
This was most certainly the first time that I can remember the Steelers running anything like that. Having four tight ends on the field at a time is something you don’t see every day, even in practice. Having a tight end catch a toss while lined up as a running back is certainly something you don’t see very often.
I could not recall a single time in which a tight end has ever been used like this in an NFL game. However, after scouring the internet trying to find an example of a tight end lining up in the backfield and catching a toss play, I finally found an example. The best part of it all was that it was Jonnu Smith lining up at tailback during his time with the Tennessee Titans. Even better, his offensive coordinator at the time was none other than Arthur Smith.
If the Steelers can line up in this four-tight-end set and have Smith break off one long run, I’m certain fans won’t be upset. This is also a sign that the Steelers are going to use Smith as he is intended to be used.
Smith is not your prototypical tight end. His vision with the ball in his hands is among the best of any pass catcher in the entire league. He thrives off manufactured touches like screens, and in this case, handoffs. Smith had a career year last season with the Miami Dolphins, earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career. We can attribute a lot of his success to the fact that Miami was so willing to give Smith those touches in space.
Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith led the NFL in receptions (17), yards (146) and first downs (7) generated on screen passes last season.
Slip screen in the red zone with Armstead and Brewer (who are both great athletes) leading the way out in front for a score on 3rd & long. pic.twitter.com/MC1ptlNusd
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) June 7, 2025
How does this help the Steelers in 2025?
Nothing against Pat Freiermuth, who is a solid tight end overall, but he is not the type of player with the elusiveness that you can manufacture touches for and expect him to break off a big play consistently. This type of thing was Jonnu’s bread and butter last season in Miami, and it is incredibly encouraging to know that Smith is at least trying out these wacky concepts in camp. Freiermuth will undoubtedly get his fair share of targets in this offense, but Smith figures to be the
The Steelers simply need more explosiveness on offense. With Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Kaleb Johnson, and Smith all new to the offense, there will certainly be more big-play capabilities as compared to previous years for the Steelers, and Smith figures to be the Swiss army knife to it all.
Oddly enough, the Steelers offense resembles that of the 2019 Tennessee Titans that made it to the AFC Championship game in the sense that they have a run-first mentality, a highly accurate quarterback, and one dominant receiver who can turn any catch into a long touchdown.
Whether it’s Smith in the backfield or Metcalf catching a deep crosser from Rodgers, I expect more fireworks from the Arthur Smith offense in 2025, and these wacky formations are a sign of a new type of creative offense we haven’t seen from the Pittsburgh Steelers in years past.
