The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of one of their most intriguing and exciting offseasons in a long time. The Steelers changed their core pieces of the offense by hiring Arthur Smith as the offensive coordinator and revamping the quarterback room. Whether it be Russell Wilson or Justin Fields taking the snaps, the Steelers offense in 2024 should be a lot more fun to watch. With Pittsburgh's offense being a hot topic of discussion throughout the media, a new X-Factor for them in 2024 has emerged.
With Smith presumably developing a new offense in the Steel City, the assumption is that the identity will be running the football. Running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren continue their mission together as a tandem for a third year now, and they may just finally earn the respect they deserve. Leading them with the blocks on the outside will be offensive tackle Broderick Jones, who is working into his second season.
Jones, a 23-year-old who was Pittsburgh's first-round selection in 2023, has high expectations going into his sophomore year. The rookie didn't earn his starting role officially until eight weeks into the season, but never gave the fans a doubt about his abilities. Pittsburgh's line has struggled over the years, but Jones and the other new rookies show signs that they can be the legitimate future.
With the Steelers having a weak front for years now, that could go into part of why the offense has been so disappointing as of late. With Jones having such a promising rookie season and a bright future, he was recently named as the Steelers' X-Factor for 2024 by NFL writer and analyst, Gregg Rosenthal.
"It's pretty rare that you put a guy into your lineup and the offense literally changes. They were 24th in rushing EPA before he started, 8th after. It's less about the production, it's just watching him. You think about pairing him with Fautanu, what a great match for Arthur Smith. They could be really fun to watch in terms of their running game."
Pittsburgh now finally has a complete line, it seems, with Jones, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, James Daniels, and Isaac Seumalo. Assuming that either Wilson or Fields will perform better than Pittsburgh's previous, they now have a quarterback, play-caller, and line, which they haven't had any in years.
Steelers' Offense Complete, Except Receiver
Quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends, linemen, the Steelers have all of those positions stacked up. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh may have shot themselves in the foot by not getting a proven partner for George Pickens. Even though Calvin Austin III has been having great things said about his development this offseason, there's still a bunch of uncertainty in their receiving room. Austin and Roman Wilson, both are young speedsters, but lack the experience as a full time wideout.
Austin served as the Steelers number four last season, behind Pickens, Diontae Johnson, and Allen Robinson II. He only caught 17 passes for 180 yards, and 72 of those yards came from one play on a long touchdown early in the season. It isn't set in stone that either Austin or Wilson will be the number two this season, considering they picked up Van Jefferson early this offseason.
The Steelers may not be worried about this dilemma at all, however. They know their plan is to run the ball with Harris and Warren, and Pickens is going to want the majority of the targets anyway. Pat Freiermuth should also have a massive role in Smith's offense, and he could very well end up getting just as many targets as Pickens.
