Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers future is riding on the development of it’s young frontline.
Football fans love to talk about the quarterback position. After all, it’s the most important position in sports. We’ve all heard some version of that refrain a few hundred times in our lives. Maybe we’ve even parroted it ourselves at some social mixer.
We get it. Important position.
But now that Aaron Rodgers has officially signed, and we’ve done our due diligence discussing his game and running through all the hypotheticals, I’m ready to shelve some of the quarterback talk until August.
You might be thinking that’s pretty rich coming from somebody doing an entire summer series on potential 2026 rookie quarterbacks to watch during the college football season. To which I say, you’re right, thanks for reading, and keep voting in the polls.
But beyond that, I don’t think Aaron Rodgers is the most important part of the 2025 Steelers’ story. Sure, that could change if the Steelers make a title run, but I think we can all admit that’d be a little surprising. Most seasons don’t end with a championship, and Rodgers, at this stage in his career, isn’t someone we should expect to have an extended stay in Pittsburgh.
No, the biggest story for the Steelers in 2025 and moving forward is not the quarterback. It’s the answer to the question: How well will the offensive line develop this year?
Ever since Omar Khan took over as general manager and brought in Andy Weidl to be his assistant general manager, the Steelers have made it clear they wanted to invest in the trenches. The offensive line had been allowed to deteriorate under Kevin Colbert’s watch, and Khan sought to remedy that.
That included trading up three spots to take Broderick Jones in Khan’s first draft as general manager.
The deal made plenty of sense at the time. The Steelers had experienced enough of Dan Moore Jr. and Chuks Okorafor as starters to know that an upgrade at offensive tackle was necessary. When the Steelers traded up with New England, there were rumors that the Jets — who were picking directly after the Patriots — wanted to take an offensive tackle. Jones was the last remaining of the tackles expected to be drafted that highly, and Pittsburgh only had to swap firsts and give up pick 120 to get a deal done.
Outside of offensive tackle, the Steelers' other huge need heading into the 2023 draft was cornerback. But thanks to a shrewd trade with the Bears, the Steelers were able to address that need as well when they selected Joey Porter Jr.
This would also spell out the Steelers' priorities for the future. The Steelers intended to build this thing from the inside out, prioritizing trench play before players who live out on the boundary.
On paper, this was a sound gamble. We’ve seen some of the best teams in recent years take advantage of this team-building strategy to great success. But a philosophy is...
