Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike Tomlin after a game against the New York Jets on Sept. 7, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — As the 2025 season rolls on, more and more of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ flaws continue to come to light.
The Steelers were obviously an incomplete team when the season starter, with a notable need for playmakers in the offensive receiving game. But as they’re progressed through the year, more and more issues have cropped up.
The team’s 25-10 drubbing by the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday revealed a whole new flaw — or at least brought one to light.
There’s plenty of season remaining, and it’s certainly possibly that the Steelers could resolve those issues in time to make a meaningful run into the postseason, but I wouldn’t bet on it — after all, the Steelers themselves didn’t when given the opportunity to this week.
The most glaringly obvious problem with this team, dating back to May, has been the lack of a secondary wide receiver beyond DK Metcalf, in particular another player to stretch the field and open space for the team’s legion of underneath options, and/or also a player which some easy separation ability.
At the 2025 NFL trade deadline, general manager Omar Khan had the opportunity to add to the receiving room, and though he was in several conversations, he ultimately declined to be the team to pay the most for any player that was in the market.
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan during a game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 15, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Sunday against the Chargers, Steelers receivers constantly struggled to find separation against what is a very pedestrian secondary, and while Aaron Rodgers did not play well — more on him in a bit — his receivers also didn’t help him out much. Jonnu Smith bobbled and was ruled to have dropped a high but catchable pass early on. Calvin Austin III let an interception clank off his hands late.
But that’s really just the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to what we’ve learned about this team over the last four weeks — or again, maybe should have known.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu blocks against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 14, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
In addition to the team’s lack of receiving weapons, the Steelers have a very inexperienced offensive line. Broderick Jones is a first-time starter at left tackle. Troy Fautanu is a first-time starter overall. Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick are second- and fourth-round picks in their second seasons. Sunday, Isaac Seumalo, the team’s lone veteran offensive lineman, missed the game with a pec injury, and they struggled to keep Rodgers clean against what is a deep and talented Chargers edge rushing group.
The play of the tackles, in particular, made life tough for Rodgers, who repeatedly, ineffectively tried to step up in the pocket when pressured from behind on the edge. For a quarterback with little escapability in his arsenal, that quick pressure was very difficult to deal with.
The Steelers’ tackles had a rocky start the season to the season, with Rodgers getting sacked seven times over the first two weeks. Since then, the play of the tackles had largely stabilized, even though they played some strong edge rushers like Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons.
The golden rule of young players, though, is that they are inconsistent, and that inconsistency came to light on Sunday, with both young tackles having less than their best games in prime time.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at practice on Oct. 24, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
On the flip side of that aging curve is Rodgers, the team’s soon-to-be 42-year-old quarterback, who looked his age for the first time this season in a dreadful game against the Chargers. Late in the fourth quarter, before one final drive of garbage time, Rodgers had a passer rating in the teens. It finished at 50.6 — the fourth-worst mark of his career in a game with at least 20 passing attempts.
Rodgers has been fairly good for the Steelers this season, but it was folly to expect that a quarterback well into his 40s would be consistently good over the course of the season. He had a very bad game. Some of those along the way probably should have been expected.
So yes, the Steelers lack offensive receiving playmakers. But they also have an inexperienced offensive line and the oldest starting quarterback in the league. Despite the acute need, this is not an offense that was a wide receiver away from competing for anything of significance.
The team’s defense is loaded with playmakers, and while they were mostly effective in limiting the Chargers on Sunday, they have still vastly under-performed their talent level on that side of the ball this season. While they played well enough for the team to win on Sunday, that unit’s issues remain largely unresolved.Â
Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 16, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
In addition to that lack of playmakers, the Steelers have a young and inexperienced offensive line, and aging and inconsistent quarterback, and a defense that does not seem capable of living up to its talent level and booking.
Can they fix all of that over the ensuing weeks, and emerge as a true playoff contender one the other side? I guess it’s possible. But I sure wouldn’t bet on it. The team’s inactivity at the deadline says they wouldn’t either.
That doesn’t mean the season is over, either. Mike Tomlin has made a career out of dragging teams with major issues
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