After an uncharacteristic offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers still find themselves caught in a situation where they have everything to prove and very little room for error. General manager Omar Khan seemingly went all-in on one run with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback to pull the team out of its worn-out stay in NFL purgatory.
Such a situation places questions at the feet of head coach Mike Tomlin heading into his 20th season with the franchise. Thankfully, fans will begin to find their answers when the black and gold open up their campaign against the New York Jets
4 questions Pittsburgh Steelers fans need answered in Week 1
Who is the WR2?
Tomlin suggested that the team doesn’t need a true WR2 because multiple players, including Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, and tight end Jonnu Smith, can fill the spot from week to week. But Steelers fans have seen that story play out for years, and it hasn’t panned out yet.
No, instead, Steelers fans want to see someone step up and take the role by force with an impressive showing in the season opener. It seems most likely that Jonnu Smith will usually have the second-most targets behind DK Metcalf, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be the most impactful player.
Against the Jets, it's possible the Steelers could have trouble finding an answer. If Sauce Gardner doesn’t follow Metcalf, then Wilson or Austin will struggle to get open against one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. If Gardner does follow Metcalf, it could open up room for one of the other players battling for that second receiver spot.
Nonetheless, a true WR2 emerging early in the season provides a spark of confidence for the offense going forward. Whether Austin, Wilson, or even Smith, someone has to step up and claim the spot.
Can the offensive line reliably protect Aaron Rodgers?
It might be the single most important question of the offseason. The offensive line was the one unit that saw the fewest changes despite having such little experience. I’ve mentioned it several times this summer: 14 years of experience among the starting five, nine belong to Seumalo, one hardly counts with Troy Fautanu, and two are iffy at best with Broderick Jones swapping to left tackle.
Rodgers is 41, and will be 42 by season’s end. The Steelers gave up 49 sacks last season, largely with the same personnel. It goes without saying that Rodgers can’t be put under the same type of pressure Russell Wilson and Justin Fields faced. At least they could get away sometimes.
Of course, Rodgers is a much more cerebral quarterback than anyone who has been under center in Pittsburgh since 2022, and he works best when he gets the ball out of his hands quickly. But the questions surrounding his weapons could hinder his ability to deliver the ball quickly if they fail to get open reliably.
Week 1 is a great first test for the offensive line, though. Will McDonald IV had 10.5 sacks last season, Quinnen Williams had six, and Jermaine Johnson returns from an Achilles injury after beginning his breakout with 7.5 sacks in 2023.
Don’t discount new head coach Aaron Glenn’s impact either. The Detroit Lions called a blitz on 34.6% of plays last season, the second-highest mark in the league in 2024. Glenn is going to hound Rodgers if he can. The last time Glenn and Rodgers faced each other was Rodgers’ final game as a Packer, when he was pressured on a third of his dropbacks.
Is Aaron Rodgers still that Aaron Rodgers?
This might also be the most important question of the season, though the answer could be clearer in Week 1 than for the other offensive questions.
Rodgers began to look like his old self down the stretch last season in New York. In the final five games of the season, he completed 64.7% of his passes and tossed 9 touchdowns to just three picks. But can he pick up where he left off?
Rodgers has said all of the right things in the media about how he feels, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. But outside of the practice fields of Latrobe, Steelers fans haven’t exactly seen any of it in action.
Everything for the Steelers rides on Rodgers. In truth, he doesn’t have to play to an MVP level for the Steelers to reach their ceiling. But the guy who threw double-digit interceptions in each of his last two full seasons isn’t who the Steelers are hoping shows up this Sunday.
Will T.J. Watt finally move around the defensive front?
The defense doesn’t face many pressing questions. Sure, the changes in the secondary are worth monitoring, but there’s enough star power back there to feel comfortable as the season progresses.
But one immediate answer Steelers fans will get in Week 1 is whether the Steelers were serious about allowing T.J. Watt more freedom as a pass rusher. For far too long, Watt has (mostly) either rushed the edge or dropped into coverage, with little variance. Meanwhile, other star pass rushers like Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons are using stunts and lining up across the front to exploit matchups.
Teams struggle to gameplan against those players, while with Watt, they throw bodies in his direction and slow him down as much as possible. His production has begun to take a hit, and something has to change.
There have been hints, but Steelers fans want to see it in action, especially against Justin Fields and his shaky passing offense, in Week 1.