The Pittsburgh Steelers like to play a specific brand of football. Over the course of their history, that’s served them well. They’ve managed to become one of the most successful franchises in all of sports. But lately, the team hasn’t been up to the same standard, especially on offense. As the team continues to pursue Aaron Rodgers, insider Mark Kaboly thinks the Steelers must be willing to change their offensive identity going forward.
“I mean if you got [DK] Metcalf, you got [George] Pickens, you got Aaron Rodgers, man, you gotta be a throwing team,” Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan on Monday. “You have to be going out there and changing your identity. Especially when you got two running backs that are not really known for more than 200 carries in a season.”
In a way, the Steelers have had a perplexing journey over the past few years. Overall, the NFL is starting to see less-talented quarterback play and an increased importance on running the ball. The Steelers have followed a somewhat similar route. Especially under Arthur Smith, the Steelers have tried to make an effort to establish the run before anything else.
Many have wondered about the potential fit between Arthur Smith and Aaron Rodgers. While those two could end up working well together, what is the offense going to look like? We’ve seen Smith have success in the past, specifically in Tennessee, where he had Ryan Tannehill and A.J. Brown, who are on a similar level to what Rodgers with Metcalf and Pickens would be.
However, that Titans team had one thing the Steelers aren’t even close to having, and that’s Derrick Henry. Throughout his play-calling career, Smith has loved to pound the rock behind a talented running back. While Pittsburgh could pick up a back in the draft, neither Kenneth Gainwell nor Jaylen Warren have shown a capability of being that kind of lead back before.
While it’s a somewhat obvious point, Kaboly is right. There aren’t any star running backs left on the market that Pittsburgh can bring in. They likely won’t use their first rounder on a back either. So, the third or fourth round is likely where they’d draft one, and they could find a quality player there. However, that player likely isn’t ready to be the lead back, either.
If Rodgers indeed signs in Pittsburgh, it will be interesting to see what kind of offense takes the field in 2025. Smith loves to pound the ball and run play-action off that. Rodgers is excellent in play-action, but if the Steelers aren’t a threat running the ball, they’re not going to get the matchups or looks they desire. How Smith adjusts his offense to Rodgers could be one of the most interesting storylines regarding the team going forward.
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