It's hard to blame Pittsburgh Steelers fans for being pessimistic after the organization's 28-14 loss in the Wild Card Round.
The coaching staff will remain almost entirely unchanged. The quarterback room might follow suit; one of Russell Wilson or Justin Fields is expected to be back in 2025, and a pivot elsewhere doesn't lend itself to much upside. The Steelers are firmly in quarterback purgatory, but that doesn't mean Pittsburgh's offense can't improve.
The Steelers' young contributors headline the key reasons for the offense's optimism in 2025.
1) The offensive line will be younger, and healthier, in 2025.
From the jump, Pittsburgh's offense was behind the eight ball. First-round offensive tackle Troy Fautanu missed almost the entirety of the season with a knee injury. After a strong start to the season, right guard James Daniels tore his Achilles. Guard Isaac Seumalo got a late start to the year, too.
In total, 10 lineman played at least 40 snaps on offense for Pittsburgh.
Center Zach Frazier played like a first-round talent, and with Fautanu's return, a second will join the unit in 2025. That means, without a heavy investment, the Steelers should get a high-level upgrade in pass protection. With a potential addition at guard or left tackle, Pittsburgh's offensive line is closer to elite than its 2024 showing would suggest.
2) The tight end room is set for long-term success.
The Steelers were forced to rely heavily on the non-receiver pass catchers in 2024. Tight end Pat Freiermuth was second on the team in targets with 78, behind only receiver George Pickens. Virtually any upgrade to the receiver room would lighten the load and allow him to see a higher share of more favorable targets.
Even so, Freiermuth played well in 2024 – Week 18 be damned. He totaled 65 catches, 653 yards, and seven scores, working well both in-line and out of the slot.
Further, Darnell Washington remains the ideal 12-personnel tight end for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. He's versatile enough to be a matchup nightmare when necessary, posting 200 yards and a score. More importantly, though, he's essentially a sixth offensive lineman.
With an extra anchor in the run game and an ability to disguise play-action passes better than most, the fundamentals for Smith's attack are solid.
3) Youth and explosiveness could be coming to the ground game.
For better or worse, it seems like Najee Harris' time in Pittsburgh is over. He's consistently produced 1,000-yard campaigns, but has left some to be desired in the big-play department.
If he does hit the open market, it feels more likely than not that the Steelers would address the position in the NFL Draft.
Doing so, in the deepest running back class since 2017, provides the opportunity to reset the timeline of paying for production on the ground while getting new blood in the room.
Adding an explosive running back to better complement Jaylen Warren – if he's brought back as a restricted free agent – could help fix the early-down woes that plagued the offense. Depending on Warren's status, the Steelers could reshape the room entirely with an early-round back or merely supplement the secondary back's skill set.
