Jon Gruden has been around the block long enough to know count out Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers at your own peril. Believing in his supporting cast, however, is a bigger issue.
“I never doubt a guy. I grew up with Bill Walsh and Bill Walsh used to say, ‘If the guys played great before, there’s a chance he could play great again.’ I just don’t know about the Steelers’ offensive line, man,” Gruden said on the latest episode of Pardon My Take. “I mean, they’re gonna move their right tackle to the left tackle. The right tackle’s gonna be the first-round pick from two years ago. They got a young center, a young right guard. I don’t know who the running back is.”
Pittsburgh’s offensive line has potential to go in either direction. Broderick Jones is flipping back to left tackle, but it’s generally viewed as a good move, the Georgia returning to his college position and the one he was supposed to play when the Steelers drafted him. College left tackle Troy Fautanu remains on the right side, enjoying a strong summer after missing most of his rookie year with a dislocated kneecap. Center Zach Frazier could make his first Pro Bowl this season while right guard Mason McCormick kept his head above water in 2024 as a small-school rookie flipping sides.
Running back, and the running game, carries its own questions. Jaylen Warren now sits atop the depth chart as the Steelers’ lead back. Rookie Kaleb Johnson can tote the rock but struggled doing everything else, blocking and receiving, this summer. How well the line opens up lanes and how quickly Johnson can grow will determine if Rodgers can be great one last time.
Rodgers aside, there’s youth offensively. Defensively, Gruden wonders if that group has enough gas in the tank.
“T.J. Watt’s not getting younger,” he said. “And they got [Darius] Slay and they got [Jalen] Ramsey. They got some guys that they still have that shutdown mentality. They’ve got a lot to prove.”
The resume of the Steelers’ defense is strong. Pro Bowlers, All-Pros, Super Bowl winners. But Slay is past the prime of his career, Ramsey may soon be exiting his, and pillars like Cam Heyward and Watt are in their 30s. Youth was infused with a defense-heavy draft, but only first-round pick DL Derrick Harmon will see substantial snaps out of the gate.
Last year proved a fast Steelers start didn’t guarantee a pleasant finish but Gruden thinks stacking early wins will go a long way.
“The Steelers with the veteran crowd they have, if they can start off good and get some mojo going, it could be interesting,” he said.
On paper, Pittsburgh has more favorable matchups to begin the season, playing just one 2024 playoff team over its first six games. Still, some analysts believe the Steelers will get off to a rocky start that will be tough to recover from in a difficult AFC North.
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