The Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting offense probably won’t be seen until Sept. 7 inside MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets for the start of the regular season, which has many concerned about how it will look.
After an up-and-down training camp in which the offense had some good moments but for the most part struggled against the defense, those concerns seem valid.
Starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem to have those concerns. In fact, during an appearance on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast alongside wide receiver DK Metcalf, Rodgers stated he believes the offense has the chance to be pretty special.
But only if young players do one key thing: tap into their leadership abilities.
“We got a lot of younger players playing. And I’d like to see those guys step up their leadership, because leadership goes hand in hand with production in this league. And the more production you have, the more leadership opportunities that you have,” Rodgers said, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “And it doesn’t all have to be rah-rah, loud, ripping guys. Sometimes it could just be your play style. So I’d love to see both. Two of our studs inside, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick, keep stepping up their leadership because they have the opportunity, because their production last year warrants a voice.”
Having started 15 and 14 games, respectively last season, and entering the 2025 season as stalwarts in the trenches, Frazier and McCormick both have a voice and can lead the Steelers’ offense. It just takes time to tap into. Frazier seems to be the quiet type, one who leads by example. But he’s found his voice within the position group, earning praise from offensive line coach Pat Meyer.
Same with McCormick, who comes off as the brash, vocal piece but leads by example and sets the tone alongside Frazier.
Of course, with a guy like Rodgers at quarterback and a receiver like DK Metcalf on the outside, both having accomplished what they’ve accomplished in this league, the Steelers don’t exactly have a need for that vocal leader or that lead-by-example player on offense.
That’s something Rodgers disagrees with and believes the only way the Steelers’ offense reaches its potential this season is if those young players emerge as leaders.
“But when we’re gonna take off as an offense is when those young guys in second, third and fourth years start to figure it out and realize, ‘Oh, I can be a leader,'” Rodgers added. “And it doesn’t mean I gotta step outside of myself personality wise, but maybe just give a little bit more to this thing. I think it’s gonna help us take off.”
It’s not just Frazier and McCormick, either. Names like Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, Pat Freiermuth and Connor Heyward, and more on the offense come to mind for Rodgers. Even Broderick Jones as mentioned by Rodgers as a guy who needs to step up and tap into his powers as a leader for the offense.
“I’m talking about guys like Jaylen Warren and Kenny G, your brother [Connor Heyward], who does everything right and cares about it so much,” Rodgers said to Heyward. “And Darnell [Washington] and Muth, and Brod stepping up and being the stud that he is.
“When those guys really tap in their power, and I think we’ve seen some growth with those guys, then we have the opportunity to be a special offense.”
That might sound like Rodgers is criticizing them some, but he’s doing the exact opposite. He’s empowering those younger players to find their voice as leaders and do what the Steelers need offensively: lead and take ownership.
If those young players can do that this season, especially under Rodgers’ guidance, it could not only take the Steelers’ offense to another level in 2025, but beyond due to the youth the Steelers have on that side of the football.
That’s an exciting thought, one that will be interesting to see play out throughout the season for the Black and Gold.
Check out the full episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward featuring Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf below.
