Steelers' Mike Tomlin Shares Obvious Frustration Towards The Offensive Line Following Week 1

Aaron Rodgers put the entire league on notice this past weekend following his debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The veteran quarterback threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns in the Week 1 victory over his former team, the New York Jets, as Rodgers looked like the healthiest version of himself that we have seen in years. Rodgers was able to play at an elite level despite the offensive line struggling at times, as the future Hall of Fame quarterback will look to carry Week 1's momentum into this Sunday's matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

The offensive line could emerge as a serious problem should they continue to struggle. Rodgers is 41 years old and in his 21st professional season, which makes it even more crucial that the veteran is well protected. Head Coach Mike Tomlin recently spoke to the media where he shared his thoughts on the current state of the offensive line, as the veteran team leader claimed he would like to see Rodgers receive better protection, particularly on play-action passes.

"Offensively, you know I would like to see us do a better job with protecting Aaron, particularly on play passes," Tomlin stated. "I mentioned that after the game. You absorb certain risk when you are executing play pass in an effort to get yards and chunks, but that risk shouldn't manifest itself in the form of multiple sacks like it did when you're prepared and good."

Tomlin continued to put the blame on himself and the coaching staff, as he claims the coaches need to be a little bit better in terms of keeping Rodgers well protected.

 "So as a staff and as a collective, we got to be a little bit better in that space," Tomlin explained.

Rodgers' performance in Week 1 is an extremely promising sight to see. The offensive line will need to be better in Week 2 against Seattle however, as limiting the amount of hits that your 41 year old quarterback takes will be crucial to the team's success in 2025. Troy Fautanu and Broderick Jones will be key components to the offensive line's success on Sunday. Fautanu had both good and bad moments against the Jets, but the young offensive lineman will need to play at a higher level in Week 2. For Jones, there were many more question marks and concerns.

Tomlin took a moment to share his thoughts on Jones' Week 1 performance as well, where the Steelers' head coach made it clear that he would like to see Jones play better moving forward.

Steelers' Offensive Line Will Play A Pivotal Role In Week 2 Against The Seahawks

The Steelers' offensive line will need to do a better job at protecting Rodgers for the remainder of the season. Both Fautanu and Jones could quickly find themselves improving as it will be crucial that the promising offensive linemen prevent Rodgers from taking as many hits as possible. Rodgers would be much more successful if the offensive line can protect him as the future Hall of Fame quarterback would thrive with additional time in the pocket.

The Steelers' offense as a whole will improve with the offensive line playing at a higher level. Rodgers' connection with DK Metcalf could improve drastically, as Metcalf is an elite playmaker who would be a top beneficiary of Rodgers receiving extra time in the pocket. Metcalf was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks over the offseason and could quickly continue to improve if the offensive line starts giving Rodgers more protection.

The Steelers will face the Seahawks in the first home matchup of the year this Sunday where the offensive line will look to play at a higher level as a unit.

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