Does Pat Meyer deserve a chance to prove himself with the Steelers’ young offensive line?
According to reports, the Steelers have no intention of moving on from OL coach Pat Meyer this year. He is under contract for the 2025 season, and they plan to see that through. While the offensive line hasn’t been a disaster during his tenure, there have been issues that are hard to excuse.
During his first two seasons, the line took six to eight games to settle in and start playing cohesively. Last season, Meyer got the Steelers’ young line to work together better early in the season than later on. In fact, down the stretch, they played some of their worst football of the last three years.
But this isn’t the offensive line Pat Meyer was supposed to have. Speaking of last year specifically, he lost two starting linemen in James Daniels and Troy Fautanu. And then there’s Broderick Jones, who is at the heart of most of this conversation.
Really, a lot of the criticism of Meyer pertains to failure to develop the Steelers’ 2023 first-round pick. But Broderick Jones isn’t even playing the position they drafted him to play yet. It appears he will finally get his chance in 2025, with the team moving on from Dan Moore Jr., and that’s not all.
Next season, the Steelers should have a lineup of Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, and Troy Fautanu. The latter three are all in their second season, with Fautanu having barely a chance to play. Jones is going into his third season but finally playing his most natural position. As for Seumalo, he made the first Pro Bowl of his career under Meyer last season.
The Steelers seem to think Pat Meyer deserves the chance to prove himself with a full deck of cards. Injuries are a part of football, but they dealt with rather a lot last season, including ones that didn’t require players to miss time. If another season goes by without the offensive line taking a significant step forward, I can’t imagine he will get another contract after the 2025 season.
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 defense 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.
