The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 season largely seems to ride on their young offensive line taking a step forward.
That might seem a bit unfair, considering all of the new faces and parts that have to fit together elsewhere after a busy offseason. But it’s largely true for the Black and Gold.
This team, especially with 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers under center, will go as the offensive line goes.
Second-year RT Troy Fautanu, who appeared on the 102.5 WDVE Morning Show Friday, doesn’t view that as pressure, both individually and as a unit. Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to keep improving, even with all eyes on the big boys up front.
“I can’t speak for other teams and other o-lines, but I know for sure that this team, we’ve got a lot of grit, a lot of just the willingness to get down and dirty. Obviously you have to have that in order to play o-line, but I feel like this whole line, we kind of all have the same mentality in how we play and approach the game,” Fautanu said, according to audio via DVE. “Especially having a vet in the room like Isaac [Seumalo], being able to lead the charge and then all of us just kind of slotting in and making sure that we’re bringing the team up and not down. So obviously there’s a lot of eyes on us this year, and it’s a good thing.
“So, I don’t think we view it as pressure, but only a way to continue to keep getting better.”
The Steelers invested heavily in the group up front. Both left tackle Broderick Jones and Fautanu were first-round picks and top-20 selections. Center Zach Frazier was a second-round pick, and right guard Mason McCormick was a fourth-round pick. The Steelers also invested a nice chunk of money in left guard Isaac Seumalo in free agency a few years ago.
The talent is there. They just have to put it all together under offensive line coach Pat Meyer this season.
It could be challenging early as Fautanu is stepping back into the starting lineup after missing all but 55 plays of his rookie season with injuries. He performed well in the one game he played in Denver last season, but he’s still a relative unknown. Reports from training camp were great, so we’ll see if it carries over into the regular season.
Jones is making the switch from right tackle to left tackle after two years at the former. He’s had plenty of ups and downs so far, but he’s back at his more natural position. That should help him settle in and become the player the Steelers were expecting when they traded up to draft him in 2023.
The interior of the offensive line appears stout, though. Frazier looks like the next Pro Bowl and All-Pro center to come through the franchise, while Seumalo is a steady presence who quietly performs at a high level. McCormick showed flashes last season but needs to find consistency in Year 2.
“I feel like we all jell pretty well together. We spend a lot of time together off the field, and that kind of helps us going onto the field just knowing that we can trust each other,” Fautanu said. “Especially with Zach and Mason being able to have a year under their belt and Broderick having two, and then we’ve got Isaac going on Year 10, and me slotting in, I feel like the expectation can’t drop just because I was out all year last year. So, just knowing that we hold each other accountable every single day I think is gonna pay the dividends going to the season. So I’m super excited for that.
“We’re super close as just as a group, as a whole, so yeah, we’ll see.”
Expectations are high for the group. They should be. The Steelers invested in the trenches and now needs to see a return on their investment. They’ll go as the offensive line goes.
That might be putting a lot of pressure on one specific unit, but Fautanu doesn’t view it that way. As head coach Mike Tomlin likes to say: pressure makes diamonds. The Steelers are hoping that occurs up front.
