Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones plays against the Ravens on Nov. 17, 2024 at Acrisure Stadium. Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones plays against the Ravens on Nov. 17, 2024 at Acrisure Stadium.
This is the first in a series examining the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster, position by position, heading into the offseason.
Today: Offensive line
It was just two years ago that the Pittsburgh Steelers fielded the healthiest offensive line in the NFL with their five starters playing 99% of all snaps.
As the Steelers prepare for the 2025 season, they will do so having experienced the opposite end of the spectrum.
Of the five starters in 2024, only left tackle Dan Moore Jr. started all 17 games. Right guard James Daniels lasted four games before sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury. First-round pick Troy Fautanu made one start before sustaining a knee injury that cut short his rookie season. And center Nate Herbig, who was expected to ease second-round pick Zach Frazier's transition into a starting role, never made it out of training camp because of a rotator cuff tear.
The rash of injuries forced Frazier and fellow rookie Mason McCormick into starting roles. Spencer Anderson, a seventh-round pick in 2023, started three games and then replaced an injured McCormick in the playoff loss at Baltimore. Ryan McCollum filled in twice for Frazier in October.
"We absorbed a lot of attrition during the course of the journey," coach Mike Tomlin said at his season-ending press conference. "We ended up playing a lot of young people."
Frazier started 15 of 17 games. McCormick started the final 13 games of the regular season at right guard. Broderick Jones, in his second season, ceded his right tackle job to Fautanu in Week 2 only to return there for the rest of the year and made 16 starts.
"They responded in a real positive way, but maybe they fatigued, mentally and physically," Tomlin said. "Those are things that we are unearthing as we begin this information-gathering process."
Moore is set to hit free agency and, despite being a durable member of the offensive line, the former fourth-round pick was charged with allowing the most sacks of any NFL offensive lineman. Moore was credited with 12 sacks against him.
Next on the list? Jones with 11. No other NFL lineman reached double digits.
Moore's imminent departure clears the way for Jones to slip back to the left side, his natural position. Fautanu, who is expected to be healthy when offseason workouts begin, will be penciled in at right tackle.
Daniels also will be a free agent, but the Steelers selected McCormick in the fourth round last season with the intent of having him be Daniels' replacement. They just didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
A question facing the interior of the offensive line is whether the Steelers are comfortable with Isaac Seumalo's nearly $10.2 million salary cap hit entering the final year of his contract. He is due a $1 million roster bonus in March, and cutting him would save a $6.875 million base salary. But it also would remove the only accomplished veteran from the locker room and a player with Super Bowl experience.
The Steelers could use free agency to fortify the line in case another rash of injuries take place in 2025. After spending five draft picks on offensive linemen the past two years, the Steelers can turn their attention to other areas this spring.
Under contract: Isaac Seumalo ($10.91 million cap hit), Broderick Jones ($4.5 million), Troy Fautanu ($3.4 million), Zach Frazier ($1.7 million), Mason McCormick ($1.15 million), Spencer Anderson ($1.049 million), Dylan Cook ($960,000), Steven Jones ($840,000), Doug Nester ($840,000)
Impending free agents: Dan Moore Jr., James Daniels, Nate Herbig, Calvin Anderson, Max Scharping
Exclusive rights free agent: Ryan McCollum
Outside perspective: Pro Football Network ranked the Steelers line at No. 24 out of 32 units, writing, "The Pittsburgh Steelers' OL struggled this season, evidenced by a 38.6% pressure rate allowed in the regular season (29th in the NFL). The unit struggled regardless of whether it was facing the blitz (9.8% sack rate, 22nd) or just four defenders or less (38.1% pressure rate, 31st; 8.7% sack rate, 31st). This despite the offense having the ninth-longest time to throw this season."