I don't think that the Steelers’ situation at the tight end position is that bad, but unfortunately, It comes down to the injury report. The team acquired Vance McDonald from the 49ers right before the 2017 opener, but can they rely on the big man to stay healthy? The trio of McDonald, Jesse James and Xavier Grimble would be a solid stable, but McDonald was only available for ten games last year.
The team has just listed McDonald as the starter on the depth chart, and I doubt they wade in the waters of free agency, but there are good names topping the list of available tight ends if they choose to do so.