Positive Takeaways: Steelers who stood out on offense

As Dave Schofield wrote Friday in his “Unpopular Opinion” article, when the Steelers lose five straight games to end the season, it is easy to focus solely on the negatives. As you can imagine, the negatives far outweigh the positives, but that doesn’t mean positives don’t exist heading into the offseason. I’d go as far as saying there were players who stood out in a positive way heading into the 2025 league year.

In this article we’re going to focus on the offensive side of the football, with defense and special teams coming up. So, who stood out on the offensive side of the ball? Let’s take a look…

Calvin Austin III

One of the biggest bright spots for me was the improvement of Calvin Austin III. Austin went from essentially being a rookie in 2023, having only 180 yards that year to the following stat line in 2024:

Games: 17
Yards: 548
TD: 4
Punt Return TD

Not only did Austin have the Steelers first punt return touchdown since 2019 last year, but his route running and overall ability took a huge step forward this past season. On top of all that, Austin has proven himself worthy enough for the team to not have to consider drafting, or signing, a wide receiver to be that WR3/WR4 role on the team. While Austin might not have the size of other receivers, his explosiveness and speed has proven worthy of a spot in the offense in his final year of his rookie contract.

Zach Frazier

If you go back to last offseason, we all knew the Steelers would have to address the center position. After they parted ways with Mason Cole it become a top priority. Even though Omar Khan and the Steelers tried to convince the fan base Nate Herbig was the main option at the position, when Zach Frazier was drafted it was only a matter of time until he took over.

Herbig’s torn labrum in his shoulder put Frazier in the hot seat, and the rookie didn’t miss a beat. In fact, if it weren’t for an ankle injury sidelining him for a few weeks around the bye, he had a phenomenal season. Was he perfect? No, most rookies have their share of issues, but at the same time Frazier’s deficiencies were outweighed by his stellar play. A positive takeaway for the Steelers? They won’t have to look for a center anytime soon, barring injury.

Mason McCormick

While McCormick’s play wasn’t nearly to the level of Frazier, the 4th Round rookie was thrust into the starting lineup for 14 games and acclimated himself well. I’m not sure he is the long term answer at offensive guard, but he was able to step in and step up his game to allow the Steelers offense to play winning football.

McCormick isn’t the most agile guard, but what he lacks in lateral mobility he makes up for it in grit, determination and downright force. You can make something out of a player like that, if he’s in the right system. Is Arthur Smith’s system that type of system? We’ll find out this offseason based on how the Steelers approach the offensive guard position in free agency and/or the NFL Draft.

Justin Fields

Some might not view Fields in a positive light, but his 4-2 record and the way he played in those games would have me consider him as a positive in the 2024 season. His stat line shows the progress he made in 2024 from where he came from in Chicago:

Games: 10
Starts: 6
TD-INT: 5-1
Rushing TDs: 5
Comp %: 65.8

Fields did have several fumbles during his time as the starter, but was fortunate to recover most of those loose balls. Outside of the fumbles, it would be difficult to pin-point major issues from Fields which wouldn’t have me view him as a positive heading into 2025. He was far from perfect, but you could also see there were times when Fields was being restricted by coaching in multiple ways. Sometimes it was having him not throw to the middle of the field, in Week 1 vs. Atlanta, or taking sacks to avoid potential turnovers. Throw it all together, and you have yourself a player who was a positive this season, even in a limited role.

Pat Freiermuth

Freiermuth’s season very much mirrored the Steelers in many ways. His crucial fumble and drops down the stretch might have fans thinking he is coming off a poor 2024 season. But when you look at the entire body of work, I disagree with that sentiment. Freiermuth put up some tremendous numbers this past season:

Games: 17
Starts: 11
Receptions: 65
Yards: 653
TDs: 7
YPC: 10.0

Freiermuth set career highs in receptions and yards this past season, and tied his career high in touchdown receptions. One of the biggest factors for Freiermuth was he played in all 17 games, this after an injury-plagued 2023 season. Is Freiermuth in that top tier of tight ends? No, but I think it is unfair to lump him into that category. He isn’t the dynamic athlete of a Kyle Pitts, and nor is he a superior blocker like Darnell Washington. Steelers fans think of Heath Miller, and that is a really difficult comparison considering how good Miller was as a two-way tight end. All in all, Freiermuth had himself the best season of his career, and that’s a positive takeaway.

These Steelers will be called upon for big seasons this year, if all return to the roster, and take steps forward in their progression with the organization.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for what could be a lengthy, and tumultuous, offseason.