The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense is facing a comprehensive breakdown that extends far beyond a single bad performance, according to analysis from Steelers beat reporters. The issues appear systemic, with an aging quarterback, questionable play-calling, and puzzling personnel decisions combining to undermine what could otherwise be a playoff-caliber team.
At the center of Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles is 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose physical limitations have become increasingly apparent. According to Nick Farabaugh on the latest episode of the Steelers Breakdown podcast, Rodgers’ difficulties stem from more than just a bad game.
“This was an old, an offense kind of led by an old redden quarterback that can’t move, that struggles under pressure, struggled with his accuracy and didn’t have the weapons or the support from the plate caller, his left tackle in this case or the weapons around him to lift him up out of a struggling game,” Farabaugh said.
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Rodgers’ pocket management has particularly raised concerns, with analysts suggesting his age is affecting his willingness to take hits.
“I think Rodgers is doing very poorly in managing pockets. I think that a sign of age... I mean he’s 41, almost 42,” Farabaugh noted. “He doesn’t want to get hit. Right. I think that has shown up under pressure.”
The beating Rodgers took behind the New York Jets’ offensive line last season may have left lasting effects. “When you beat a dog too much, he flinches. He’s never the same dog,” commented co-host John Luciew, describing Rodgers as looking like “an old man thinking, what the hell am I doing?”
Beyond quarterback performance, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s play-calling and personnel usage have come under scrutiny. Perhaps most baffling is the limited role of running back Jalen Warren, widely considered the team’s most dynamic offensive weapon.
“Their best offensive weapon is number 30 [Jalen Warren]. I feel very comfortable seeing that he’s the engine when this offense is working,” Farabaugh said, before highlighting a shocking statistic: “27 snaps of 24, he didn’t play a single snap on third down in this game. 11 third downs, 0 Jaylen Warren snaps.”
This pattern of underutilization extends beyond Warren. Tight end Pat Freiermuth, who analysts consider the team’s second-best pass catcher, has seen limited targets while John Smith continues to lead tight ends in snap counts despite less production.
“I just think the deployment of them and the maximization of them is pretty poor from Arthur Smith in some respects,” Farabaugh explained. “And I think it’s been that way for a lot of the season. They go away from the run game a little too easily for me too.”
The offensive struggles have created a ripple effect throughout the team. While Pittsburgh’s defense has shown improvement in recent weeks, it’s been forced to shoulder an excessive burden due to the offense’s inability to sustain drives.
“The lack of complimentary football, the fact that the Steelers offense couldn’t really convert a third down. So the defense was on the field way too much,” Luciew noted, highlighting a fundamental disconnect between the team’s units.
With upcoming games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears—both teams with struggling defenses—the Steelers have what analysts describe as “get right” opportunities before a more challenging stretch of their schedule.
“They have two really good get right games. The Bengals and Bears stink defensively,” Farabaugh said. “If you can get right against those, maybe you can get your mojo back and get a rhythm.”
The path forward for Pittsburgh may depend on embracing a more ground-oriented approach that maximizes Warren’s abilities while putting less pressure on Rodgers to carry the offense. Whether the coaching staff will make these adjustments remains to be seen, but with the AFC North race still wide open, the team’s season hangs in the balance.
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