Source Inside Steelers' Facility Provides Legitimate Clarity On The Offense Moving Forward In 2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers are beginning to find their groove in the 2025 season as the team has won three games in a row. Both sides of the ball have improved in each contest of the year, and in Pittsburgh's past two matchups, the two sides of the ball displayed great examples of complementary football. The Steelers have a firm lead in the AFC North and are currently in second place in the AFC as a whole. Hopefully the group can keep this pace up, especially with a big in-division game on Thursday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

There were a lot of questions going into the 2025 season regarding Pittsburgh's offense. It was unknown how much Aaron Rodgers was gong to be relied upon to throw the football. It seemed like he might be counted on a lot earlier in the season, but the Steelers have slowly begun to figure out the running game. That started with a great performance on the ground in Week 3 against the New England Patriots, which was followed up by an outstanding showing from Kenneth Gainwell against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland.

NFL insider Jeremy Fowler spoke with people inside the facility in Pittsburgh over the last week, and he was able to pick up on what the offensive strategy is going to be moving forward. He shared that in a recent article for ESPN.

"When talking to people with the Steelers this week in advance of Thursday night's matchup with Cincinnati, a few themes emerged," Fowler wrote. "First, Pittsburgh's offense believes it's a run-first attack now. The Steelers believe the interior offensive line in particular has emerged in recent games to provide an additional push up the middle that benefits backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. This helps protect a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers and plays to Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith's strengths as a run-game guru with a tight end background. Expect that identity to continue."

The Steelers will be looking to keep the ball on the ground throughout the remainder of the season. This should open up some parts of the passing game, and it will also keep the defense guessing. Both of those factors will make Rodgers' life a little bit easier while playing quarterback in Pittsburgh.

Fowler states that the Steelers intend to build their identity around running the ball, and part of that is because of the interior offensive line. This includes Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick. Seumalo is a relied upon veteran, meanwhile Frazier and McCormick are both in their second season. This trio has provided a consistent push in the running game, and it is something that the coaching staff has noticed.

Pittsburgh should be trying to establish the run early on in most of their games during the 2025 season. It is important to keep a balance on offense, and that will come as the young offensive line continues to progress as the year goes along.

Steelers Will Have Plenty Of Fresh Legs At Running Back

The Steelers' backfield was a little questionable to start the season, but things should workout just fine. Jaylen Warren is still the lead back, while Gainwell is more than capable of filling in and making splash plays on third downs. Kaleb Johnson provides a change of pace as he is a bit bigger than the other two backs. Johnson will continue to improve as he gets more comfortable within the offense and within the NFL. 

Johnson is still bouncing back from a critical mistake back in Week 2, but he is slowly earning trust as he puts together decent, consistent performances.

What do you think about this report from Fowler? Let us know in the comments below!

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