The Steelers future is riding on the development of it’s young frontline.
Football fans love to talk about the quarterback position. After all, it’s the most important position in sports. We’ve all heard some version of that refrain a few hundred times in our lives. Maybe we’ve even parroted it ourselves at some social mixer.
We get it. Important position.
But now that Aaron Rodgers has officially signed, and we’ve done our due diligence discussing his game and running through all the hypotheticals, I’m ready to shelve some of the quarterback talk until August.
You might be thinking that’s pretty rich coming from somebody doing an entire summer series on potential 2026 rookie quarterbacks to watch during the college football season. To which I say, you’re right, thanks for reading, and keep voting in the polls.
But beyond that, I don’t think Aaron Rodgers is the most important part of the 2025 Steelers’ story. Sure, that could change if the Steelers make a title run, but I think we can all admit that’d be a little surprising. Most seasons don’t end with a championship, and Rodgers, at this stage in his career, isn’t someone we should expect to have an extended stay in Pittsburgh.
No, the biggest story for the Steelers in 2025 and moving forward is not the quarterback. It’s the answer to the question: How well will the offensive line develop this year?
Ever since Omar Khan took over as general manager and brought in Andy Weidl to be his assistant general manager, the Steelers have made it clear they wanted to invest in the trenches. The offensive line had been allowed to deteriorate under Kevin Colbert’s watch, and Khan sought to remedy that.
That included trading up three spots to take Broderick Jones in Khan’s first draft as general manager.
The deal made plenty of sense at the time. The Steelers had experienced enough of Dan Moore Jr. and Chuks Okorafor as starters to know that an upgrade at offensive tackle was necessary. When the Steelers traded up with New England, there were rumors that the Jets — who were picking directly after the Patriots — wanted to take an offensive tackle. Jones was the last remaining of the tackles expected to be drafted that highly, and Pittsburgh only had to swap firsts and give up pick 120 to get a deal done.
Outside of offensive tackle, the Steelers’ other huge need heading into the 2023 draft was cornerback. But thanks to a shrewd trade with the Bears, the Steelers were able to address that need as well when they selected Joey Porter Jr.
This would also spell out the Steelers’ priorities for the future. The Steelers intended to build this thing from the inside out, prioritizing trench play before players who live out on the boundary.
On paper, this was a sound gamble. We’ve seen some of the best teams in recent years take advantage of this team-building strategy to great success. But a philosophy is only as valuable as how it’s executed. For the Steelers, that still very much hangs in the balance.
Jones’ struggles are no secret to anyone who’s been following the team. Whether that’s due to the Steelers playing him out of position for two years or because of some other hang-up, Jones has yet to live up to his draft status. The 2025 season is a pivotal year for both Jones’ professional career and the Steelers’ future plans.
Following this season, the Steelers must decide if they will exercise their fifth-year option on Jones. If they elect not to, then they’re back to square one. Tackles rival quarterbacks when it comes to first-round value, and are one of the positions, along with pass rushers, that we commonly see drafted early and often. If Jones isn’t in their future plans, that means they’ll once again need to reinvest in the position, which you’d rather see sooner than later with a young quarterback under center.
But Jones isn’t the only one the Steelers are hoping can take a leap.
Troy Fautanu looked solid in his long game in 2024, but he was sidelined with injury for the rest of the year. Fautanu’s health and durability were questions he faced entering the league, and, unfortunately, they impacted his rookie season.
That’s two big question marks already, and we haven’t even touched the interior line.
Zach Frazier looks like a star in the making and has served as proof of concept for Khan and Weidl, but there are questions surrounding the guard positions. Mason McCormick, a fourth-round pick from an FCS school, was forced into action last year due to injuries. McCormick showed an enthusiasm, but wasn’t always the most sound in this job. Isaac Seumalo, meanwhile, has been fairly steady, but it remains to be seen if the Steelers are interested in an extension with a guard who will turn 33 during the 2026 season. Especially when he’s only turning in about league-average play.
Add it all together, and that’s three premium picks devoted to this line. That’s a big investment, and they are picks that Khan and the Steelers need to pay off. Using high draft picks again on one or both tackle spots would be less than ideal and put the Steelers further behind in the soft rebuild they’ve been attempting to deftly navigate since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.
Their development will be crucial for the Steelers.
In 2024, the Steelers ran the ball the fourth-most in the league, but they were one of the least efficient teams at it. Per Next Gen Stats, the Steelers had the fifth-least amount of rushing EPA (-53), the 10th highest rate of stuffed runs (17.6%), and tied for the 7th-lowest average yards per rush (4.1). They didn’t fare much better throwing the ball, averaging in the negatives for EPA per pass (-0.08) and allowing the ninth most sacks (49). And sure, some of that blame lies at the feet of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, but certainly not all of it.
Whether running or passing, the Steelers’ line struggled to consistently gel, and there were plenty of missed assignments on film last season. The Steelers need this group to turn that around in 2025 if they hope to contend, but more importantly, it would be preferable to have a strong line in place when they hand the keys to a young signal caller.
If the Steelers’ young line can start to figure things out this season, the Steelers could have the core of their line in place for the next several years. If they don’t, it might not matter who the Steelers end up drafting at quarterback. If their development is impacted by poor offensive line play, we’ll only be able look back at Khan’s first two drafts as missed opportunities.