The Pittsburgh Steelers fell off a cliff towards the end of the 2024 season. They lost five straight, and the responsibility for those losses was shared across the roster. Russell Wilson’s mobility certainly was limited during that stretch. Yet, he wasn’t helped by the Steelers offensive line, which also saw some struggles. ESPN’s Damien Woody had some harsh words for that group on Get Up on Tuesday.
“That’s the biggest issue with Pittsburgh; their offensive line, quite honestly, stunk up the joint last year in Pittsburgh,” Woody said. “They have to be much, much better. It’s not like they haven’t invested in the offensive line; they have. They have to get those guys playing better.”
Saying the Steelers’ offensive line ‘stunk up the joint’ might be harsh. The unit wasn’t perfect last year, but given the adversity they endured, things could have gone much worse. Zach Frazier put together an extremely impressive rookie year, especially because he took the starting job on short notice after Nate Herbig’s injury. He looks like the next great center in Pittsburgh.
He wasn’t the only bright spot, though. Mason McCormick showed promise as he was also forced to take on a larger role than expected. Although it was a small sample size, Troy Fautanu showed some glimpses of his potential before he went down with a season-ending knee injury. Obviously, there are still things that need improvement. Dan Moore is leaving, signing a massive contract with the Tennessee Titans. Broderick Jones still clearly has some improvements to make.
All things considered, though, there are reasons to be excited about the unit going into the future. However, given the current quarterback market, the Steelers’ offensive line will be under even more scrutiny in 2025. Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are the most logical options remaining at QB for Pittsburgh. We saw how Wilson’s mobility limited him when the offensive line wasn’t at its best. It’s safe to assume Rodgers will be even less mobile in 2025.
Woody is right that some aspects of the line need to play better. With the likelihood of an aging quarterback taking snaps in Pittsburgh being pretty high, they will need better performances from guys like Broderick Jones. All things considered, though, the Steelers offensive line hardly ‘stunk up the joint’ in 2024. There’s even more room to grow going forward.
