Will the Steelers let OL coach Pat Meyer go?
Nowhere have the Steelers invested more recently than in the offensive line, with Pat Meyer at the helm. In his three seasons at the helm, they have drafted two first-round and a second-round lineman. They have also signed Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels in free agency, but what do they have in the end?
Of course, we can’t discuss the Steelers’ offensive line in 2024 without acknowledging injuries. They lost Daniels to a season-ending injury early on, and also lost rookie T Troy Fautanu. Fautanu was in the starting lineup at the time, though had only played one game. For whatever criticism Pat Meyer deserves, we have to make exceptions for injuries.
But the Steelers were able to replace Daniels and Fautanu, at least on paper, relatively ably. Rookie fourth-round pick Mason McCormick acquitted himself pretty well at guard. Broderick Jones is a former first-round pick, so if he didn’t deliver, one has to look at Meyer there.
Whatever we have seen over the past three years, the Steelers know they need results from this group. While the offensive line looked decent at times, it fell apart at the end of the year. Even Mike Tomlin acknowledged that. He also acknowledged the potential for coaching staff changes—and Meyer is surely in consideration.
For a team that has invested significantly in the draft the past two years, the Steelers can’t afford to get the coaching wrong along the offensive line. If Pat Meyer can’t get the most out of a Broderick Jones, maybe somebody else can.
Although their rookies are older, this is still a relatively young group. Seumalo is really the only “old” player only the Steelers’ line. Perhaps they might want a more experienced offensive line coach. Meyer has been around, but he hasn’t found a long-term home anywhere. Perhaps there is a reason for that, and perhaps they are realizing why now.
The Steelers’ 2024 season has come to its predictably inauspicious end, with yet another one-and-done postseason for HC Mike Tomlin. The offense faltered, and the defensed matched it blow for blow, leading to a 21-0 first-half deficit.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. Do they still believe in Russell Wilson, and/or Justin Fields, or do they want another solution? There are other major decisions to make, as well, such as what to do with George Pickens. Do you sign him to an extension, try to trade him, or let him play out his rookie contract?
The Steelers started the 2024 season 10-3, with Mike Tomlin in the Coach of the Year conversation. Wash, rinse, and repeat, and we have another late-season collapse. This may be the worst yet, a four-game losing streak presaging a one-and-done playoff “run”. Welcome to Steelers football.
