The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line has already seen their best days

The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line has been one of the best units in the league over the past five years, but there are several reasons why this group has already seen their best days.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had one of the best overall offensive line units in the league for the past five years now. This seasoned group of veterans lead by offensive line coach, Mike Munchak were road graders for Pittsburgh’s run game and anchors in pass protection.

However, there is a good chance that the offensive line has already seen their best days.

This offseason, a move was made in the organization that almost made me fall to my knees. Mike Munchak, one of the best offensive line coaches in the business, moved to Denver to be the OL coach for the Broncos.

Munchak had been in Pittsburgh since 2014, and was a staple to the offense. Under Munchak, the Steelers didn’t need to invest high in offensive linemen through the draft or free agency. In fact, the highest pick the Steelers spent on an offensive lineman under Munchak was a 3rd rounder (Chukwuma Okorafor in 2018).

Instead, Munchak was such a master at his craft that he was responsible for developing a number of late round or undrafted players, such as Kelvin Beachum, Chris Hubbard, B.J. Finney, Matt Feiler, and Alejandro Villanueva.

Munchak’s departure from the Steelers cannot be understated, and they will soon feel the effects his loss.

Another reason the Steelers offensive line has seen it’s best days is because they are one of the oldest starting units in the league. From left to right, the ages on the Steelers offensive line projected to start the 2019 season will be 30, 33, 30, 29, and 27. That’s an average age of 29.8 years old.

Though good offensive lineman can play for a long time in this league, their is evidence that their level of play is going to drop off into their 30’s. With not a lot of really young blood behind them, the Steelers could be looking at a rebuild of the offensive line in just a few short years.

It will be interesting to see how effective the offensive line unit will be as they age into their 30’s without, perhaps, the best offensive line coach in the business. Even with his two-year contract extension, Ben Roethlisberger is nearing the end of his long career. If the offensive line unit can at least hold up until the time Ben hangs up his cleats, that may be all the Steelers need.

As long as Roethlisberger is protected by a unit that keeps him upright, the Steelers will have a chance. Unfortunately for the Steelers, this offensive line group has probably already seen their best days.