If you thought the Pittsburgh Steelers running game would change overnight, don’t hold your breath. Or at least, that’s what The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly believes. In a Friday appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Kaboly shared that he thinks it will take a while for the Steelers run game to mesh, similar to the past few seasons.
“I think the running game might be a work in progress early,” Kaboly told The Fan. “I mean, they showed us that the last two years…Now, they’re not putting helmets and pads on until next Monday. So I think that’s where it is.”
That was certainly the case last season, where the team struggled mightily on the ground in the first half of the season but found more success later in the year. For reference, in the first half of the 2023 season, Pittsburgh had an average of 91 rushing yards per game, 3.7 yards per attempt, and four touchdowns. That number saw a substantial uptick in the back half of the year, where the team averaged 143 yards per game, 4.4 yards per attempt, and 12 touchdowns.
A part of that change was the insertion of then-rookie Broderick Jones into the starting lineup in favor of Chukwuma Okorafor. This season seems poised to be similar. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected center Zach Frazier and tackle Troy Fautanu with their first two selections. All signs point to the pair starting this season, especially after the recent news that Fautanu is working at right tackle.
“Troy’s learned a lot of the different techniques very quickly,” offensive line coach Pat Meyer told reporters. “He’s improved tremendously from rookie minicamp to now.'”
Fautanu echoed this sentiment, saying he expects to start training camp at right tackle.
“I kind of just leave that up to the coaches,” Fautanu said. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be sticking at right, competing for whatever position they may throw at me. So I’m just ready for whatever opportunity.”
Frazier seems to be a lock to start over Nate Herbig, who has never been a long-term starter in the league and spent more time playing guard than center.
If that’s the case, the Steelers can surely expect some growing pains from rookies, especially as they try to mesh with veterans like James Daniels and Isaac Seumalo. However, if they mesh like last season, expect the team to find their stride after the first few games.
