The Steelers’ offensive line took their lumps last season with so many young pieces getting their first NFL action. However, ahead of the 2025 season, expectations are high for the young Pittsburgh Steelers OL, led by second-year center Zach Frazier.
For second-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, he believes that the young group, which will feature Frazier at center, second-year pro Mason McCormick at right guard, second-year pro Troy Fautanu at right tackle, veteran Isaac Seumalo at left guard and third-year pro Broderick Jones making the flip back over to left tackle, should be further along entering the 2025 season, particularly in training camp.
In turn, that should allow Smith to do more offensively, which could open up the playbook even further, especially with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center.
Speaking with reporters earlier in the week during mandatory minicamp, Smith spoke highly of his young offensive line and believes they’ll be better this season due to the experience gained last year.
“That experience that those guys got, those young guys like Zach [Frazier], Mason [McCormick], Spencer [Anderson] — we were playing…we had a different lineup damn near every week early on and we had injuries, just one of those years. You’d love to have the same five for every game. That helps when they got [experience], they’re not rookies anymore,” Smith said of the offensive line, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “Getting Troy [Fautanu] back to play the game helps. Those guys have been around each other. That’s the position we’ve had the least amount of turnover, and that’s what you expect.
“So those guys should be further along when we get to Latrobe, and obviously earlier in the year, which allows you to do a lot more, too.”
Last season, injuries really hindered continuity along the offensive line. Seumalo went down with a pectoral injury in training camp, which caused him to miss the first four games of the season, leading to Spencer Anderson seeing his first NFL snaps, starting the first four games of the year against Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, and Indianapolis before Seumalo returned.
Prior to Seumalo returning, though, veteran right guard James Daniels tore his Achilles early on in the Week 4 loss to the Colts, pushing McCormick into the starting lineup. Prior to Daniels’ injury, 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu was lost for the season after his first start in Week 2 in Denver due to a knee injury suffered in practice. Just when the Steelers were seemingly about to get healthy along the offensive line, disaster struck.
Remember, too, that Frazier was only the starting center to open the year due to Nate Herbig’s season-ending shoulder injury in training camp.
But one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity, and that’s what was in front of the likes of McCormick, Frazier, Anderson, and even guys like Broderick Jones, who stepped back into the starting lineup due to Fautanu’s injury and had to play through plenty of adversity with poor play.
Now, though, Jones is back over at left tackle following the loss of Dan Moore Jr. in free agency. At the same time, Fautanu is healthy, and the interior of Seumalo, Frazier, and McCormick, who all started together for much of the season, returns. Big things are expected of McCormick this season.
Guys like Anderson and center Ryan McCollum gained experience last season, too. So, the Steelers had to go through some tough times in 2024 in the trenches, but they should be better off for it this season, especially once they get to Latrobe.
They’re all comfortable in the offense, know each other well, and have plenty of chemistry. Now it’s about continuing to stack reps together and gel. Doing that in training camp should give the Steelers’ offense a leg up entering the season with some stability up front.
At least, that’s what Smith is counting on.
