For offensive success, is it all about the Steelers offensive line?

The 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping for a resurgence on the offensive side of the ball. Maybe resurgence isn’t the best word considering it would mean a return to something once held in high regard. If we’re being honest, no Steelers offense has been feared in any form or fashion since Ben Roethlisberger decided to hang up the cleats once and for all.

So, if I were to rephrase things a bit, it would be the Steelers are hoping for the offense to take a step in the right direction.

When you look at the cast of characters, you will see a lot has changed.

Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf hope to anchor the skill position players while Kaleb Johnson hopes to revitalize the running game in his rookie season.

There are those who are still around, players like Pat Freiermuth and Jaylen Warren, who have been through the doldrums of Steelers offensive ineptitude, but what should be known to fans around the globe is how it is about more than just skill position players.

It’s about the offensive line.

Some may disagree, but to me the success or failure of the Steelers 2025 offensive line comes down to the offensive line.

Can Broderick Jones at least provide what Dan Moore Jr. did at left tackle during the last four seasons? The hope is he will be better, but where Moore finished his time in Pittsburgh should be the standard Jones is trying to reach.

Was Isaac Seumalo’s sub-par 2024 due to the chest injury which saw him miss the first four games of the season? Will he bounce back, or is this just a slippery slope for the veteran offensive guard?

Troy Fautanu won the right tackle job last season, but missed the year with a knee injury. Is he an upgrade over what Jones did on the right side? Some say yes, but we have yet to see it.

Mason McCormick was called into duty earlier than anyone thought when James Daniels ruptured his Achilles Tendon. Is McCormick nothing more than a stop-gap, or is he going to be the future of the right side alongside Fautanu and Zach Frazier?

Speaking of Frazier, of all the players along the line, he seems to have the fewest question marks surrounding him at this time…and he’s only going into his second season as a professional.

I can’t think of any other position on either side of the football with as many question marks surrounding it than the offensive line, and it will be pivotal to the offense’s success, or lack thereof.

Best-Case Scenario: Jones thrives on the left side, Seumalo shows he can bounce back, Frazier keeps his steady play, McCormick proves he is the answer at guard, and Fautanu looks every bit the 1st Round pick from 2024.

Worst-Case Scenario: Jones flounders and has fans thinking they will need to draft another tackle in the coming years, Seumalo is washed, Frazier plays well but doesn’t improve much, McCormick is out-matched, and Fautanu never truly regained his athleticism after his knee injury last season.

Yes, those are the two ends of the spectrum, but let’s hope for results more towards the former, and far from the latter. If they get poor results, does it matter who is at quarterback? Does it matter if they get a wide receiver? Can running backs run through lanes which don’t exist?

I’m going to suggest no, and that’s why I feel this 2025 offense will be all about the line’s ability to do their jobs at a high level.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the start of training camp.