Bell: Steelers Hold Two Keys to Unlocking Passing Game

Yahoo

22-06-2025

With Aaron Rodgers set to wear the black and gold this upcoming fall, one of the bigger questions surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers is what the offense will look like in 2025. The four-time MVP is surely ready to move past his disastrous stint in New York and end his well-decorated career on a high note. In order for that to transpire, he's going to need the offensive line, particularly the young bookend tackles, to live up to their first-round billing.
But at least we know that they won't be completely thrown to the wolves.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at minicamp on June 12, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Arthur Smith returns for his second season as the Steelers' playcaller, and while his offense hasn't produced great results in recent years, there are some schematic elements in place that make life a little easier on linemen. Beyond being a run-first attack, the unit ranked middle of the pack in play action and featured designed rollouts at the 5th highest rate in the league per SIS.
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Moving the launch point is a natural complement to their outside-zone heavy system and helps keep defenders off balance by changing their rush path. It certainly doesn't hurt matters that they also happen to employ a 285-pound tight end in Darnell Washington that can moonlight as a pass protector every so often.
While Smith's offense reduces the amount of true drop-back pass sets, both the present and future of the Steelers' offensive line partially depend on Broderick Jones' development. His sophomore season was a step in the wrong direction, as he was one of three tackles that allowed double-digit sacks last season, according to PFF. Now moving back to the left side, where he's admitted that he's more comfortable, the coaching staff has all but eliminated excuses for his struggles moving forward. The physical talent is there.
Simply switching sides will hopefully help, but won't be the end-all, be-all as it pertains to fixing his technique, and those quick losses from the blind side will be more difficult to navigate with a 42-year-old quarterback that doesn't move very well at this stage of his career.
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Jones was a raw prospect coming out of Georgia that needed time, but year three is somewhat of a make-or-break season for him. Pittsburgh will have to make a decision next offseason on whether or not they wish to pick up his fifth-year option. A breakout season will make the trying times worth it, and it's hard to see a world where the Steelers offense truly flourishes without it.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu at OTAs on June 5, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
On the flip side, Troy Fautanu returns to the starting lineup after missing essentially all of his rookie season due to a dislocated kneecap. If you recall, injury concerns were the primary reason that he slid further than expected in the NFL Draft, but his talent was blatantly obvious.
His experience at Washington was unique because their offense was a vertical passing attack that routinely left him on an island in pass pro, something that could come in handy with a guy like Rodgers under center. After all, Smith joked that they didn't acquire him and DK Metcalf just to run the wishbone.
Even for how impressive his college tape was, it's fair to expect some ups and downs in 2025, especially considering the fact that he's being tasked with switching to right tackle for the first time since high school. Fautanu is essentially a rookie, and it's true that most young tackles struggle immensely because of how athletically gifted and technically proficient modern NFL edge rushers are.
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With that in mind, he deserves a bit more grace from Steelers fans in the meantime, but hopefully there will be noticeable improvement as he continues to gain reps in his new position. Still, his ability to gain Rodgers' trust in preventing pressure off the edge will be crucial in terms of maximizing their potential next season.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 20, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Speaking of Rodgers and his relationship with the offensive line, one thing that has been widely discussed since the rumored pairing is how quickly he gets the ball out of his hands. His 2.65-second time-to-throw was the fourth quickest among starters in 2024. This is a stark contrast to the Steelers' quarterbacks that took snaps last year, with both Wilson and Fields being notorious for holding on to the ball forever. In some ways, this will help reduce the stress on the offensive tackles. But it's important to note that simply getting the ball out quickly isn't the lone ingredient to a successful pass game.
Rodgers 2024 campaign is a great example of this. 305 of his passing attempts last season came in under 2.5 seconds, the second-most in the NFL according to Next Gen Stats. However, he finished 32nd in EPA/Dropback. It's no secret that Rodgers loves quick game passing concepts, but the offense has to be more diverse, or else it becomes predictable.
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When you study his film from last season, you can tell that defenses were hyper-aware of Rodgers' preferences and more importantly, the things that he simply didn't feel comfortable doing like holding on to the ball longer, getting deeper into his progressions and throwing over the middle of the field. You don't want to take quick game away from him completely but you can't build the entire plane out of such plays.
This isn't the first time that Rodgers has run into something of a turning point in his career. It's easy to forget about the late Mike McCarthy era Packers that felt stale at the time, with many wondering if his best days were simply behind him.
Then, Matt LeFleur entered the picture, and while it took some convincing and melding of the minds, the two were able to construct an offense that revitalized his career, leading to back-to-back MVP campaigns in 2020 and 2021. Of course, Smith's offense has some shared DNA, considering their previous working relationship with one another.
That isn't to say that Rodgers is likely to explode for another monster statistical season, but if he's willing to tweak his game once more, the results could be good enough for the Steelers to at least make the postseason. Pittsburgh should be mindful about how much they're putting on his shoulders. Sometimes less is more, and it's unreasonable to expect him to carry their offense by throwing the ball nearly 600 times at his age. The Steelers have to be realistic with their expectations here.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith at OTAs on May 29, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
In order for them to be firing on all cylinders when it matters, the young tackle duo will need to prove that they can keep the future Hall of Famer clean. When Rodgers is well protected, the arm talent is still plenty good enough to make things happen. It's when the pocket begins to erode around him that things start to go south. And it's going to require compromise on his end as well. The infrastructure in Pittsburgh is certainly much more stable than the one up north, and that could prove to be beneficial for everyone involved.
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The Steelers' 2025 season could be a lot of things, but it won't be boring.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Bell: Steelers Hold Two Keys to Unlocking Passing Game
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