The Pittsburgh Steelers need a quarterback. Aside from just the quarterback position, though, the rest of the offense leaves something to be desired as well. The unit has undergone significant changes this offseason, but it doesn’t seem to have improved much. On Wednesday, Fox Sports’ David Helman ranked all 32 supporting casts in the league, and he placed the Steelers 26th.
“Everything about the Steelers’ offense is … fine, in my opinion,” Helman wrote. “D.K. Metcalf is a really good player, but I felt better about this receiving core before George Pickens was traded. Pat Freiermuth is a nice second option. Perhaps Calvin Austin or Roman Wilson can grow into a third option behind those guys, but I don’t quite trust them yet. I’m excited about the duo of Kaleb Johnson and Jaylen Warren in the backfield, but that might depend on the continued development of the offensive line.”
When the Steelers traded for DK Metcalf to kick off their offseason, it felt like the receiving core massively improved. If Pittsburgh went into the season with Metcalf and Pickens on the outside, it would have opened up a ton of things for the offense as a whole. The Steelers clearly felt they were better off with Pickens outside the building, though.
Unless Roman Wilson or Calvin Austin III takes a giant leap this year, it’s hard to be confident in the position. Having Freiermuth on the field is a nice safety blanket, though. Speaking at OTAs this week, he felt confident in his ability to step up this year.
There’s a lot of excitement around Kaleb Johnson going into 2025. However, he is a rookie and may take some time to develop. Pittsburgh already knows what they’re getting in Jaylen Warren. Johnson could certainly develop into a better back than Harris was, but that’s asking a lot in his first year.
One of the spots with the most potential on the entire offense is the line. However, there are still some question marks for Helman regarding them.
“Zach Frazier looks like he might be a future Pro Bowler at center, but we haven’t seen Troy Fautanu yet, and Broderick Jones hasn’t lived up to his draft slot,” Helman wrote. “I wouldn’t call this a bad group, but it’s not one that I think has a terribly high ceiling with Arthur Smith calling the shots.”
On the interior, things do feel secure. Helman mentions Frazier, who had a tremendous rookie year. He doesn’t mention Mason McCormick, though, who quietly turned in an impressive year as a guard in 2024. Fautanu is raw, but the Steelers hope he develops into their future right tackle. As for Jones, Helman is right that he hasn’t lived up to his draft slot yet. Jones does feel more confident moving back to left tackle, though.
With all of that said, there are plenty of qualms to have with this supporting cast. The receiver position is unknown outside of Metcalf. At running back, a third-round pick in Kaleb Johnson isn’t the most secure bet until he proves himself. The Steelers’ supporting cast isn’t getting a lot of credit this offseason. Until they prove themselves, that’s not likely to change anytime soon.
Related Items:Broderick Jones, Calvin Austin, David Helman, DK Metcalf, Fox Sports, Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, Pat Freiermuth, Roman Wilson, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier
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