With their initial 53-man roster set, we have a clear picture of what the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster will look like for the 2025 season. Omar Khan did an incredible job bolstering the strength of the cornerback room, while the defensive line underwent a massive overhaul since 2024. However, the biggest weakness on the team is still glaringly obvious—it's the backup offensive line.
Pittsburgh's starting offensive line looks respectable, with plenty of upside to boot. From left to right, the Steelers will have Broderick Jones, Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, and Troy Fautanu. Four of the five starters are 25 and under, and if they continue to develop, this could be a strong unit.
But the backup offensive line looks worse than it has in years... and that's a bigger problem than you think.
Following NFL roster cuts, the Steelers elected to retain offensive tackle Calvin Anderson, guard Spencer Anderson, center Ryan McCollum, and tackle/guard Andrus Peat. The Steelers also signed back guard Max Scharping after he missed the initial 53-man roster.
Though the Steelers have plenty of bodies on the bench in the event of injuries, they are in desperate need of a talent upgrade on the backup offensive line.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' backup offensive line could be the downfall of the offense in 2025
It's unreasonable and irrational to expect the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting offensive line to be together for all 17 regular-season games (plus playoffs) in 2025. We know guys are going to get banged up; it's the nature of the business. But if season-ending injuries strike, the Steelers will be in big trouble on the offensive line.
Last year, the Steelers suffered three season-ending injuries to some of their top offensive lineman. Troy Fautanu went down for the year after just one game, while Nate Herbig—who was expected to begin the 2024 season as the starting center—suffered a season-ending injury at the end of training camp. Even James Daniels went down for the year with an Achilles injury following an impressive start to the season.
Had it not been for the impressive O-line depth on the roster last year, the Steelers would have been in serious trouble. Needless to say, season-ending injuries strike Pittsburgh's starting OL in 2025, and the Steelers will feel the effects.
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None of Pittsburgh's backup offensive linemen did much to impress during the summer. They didn't stand out during training camp, and nearly all of them graded out poorly during the preseason.
Here's the unfortunate part: with the best free agent options long picked over and the only notable recent roster cuts quickly snatched up, the Steelers don't have many options to upgrade. Instead, they just need to hope their backups can rise to the occasion if called upon.
Obviously, we hope that the starting offensive line can stay healthy throughout the year, but history suggests it's only a matter of time before we see some of these backups in action. Let's hope the severe lack of quality OL depth doesn't cause the Steelers' offense to crumble in 2025.