Steelers are failing Aaron Rodgers by abandoning the run - Steelers Wire
Through four games of the 2026 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves sitting at a disappointing 2-2, wrestling with a fundamental identity crisis on offense. Despite heavy offseason investments to build a physical, power-running football team, head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers keep leaning into three-receiver dropback passing sets, with frustratingly inefficient results.
The roster construction clearly pointed toward a heavy-set, bully-style offense. Pittsburgh drafted physical offensive linemen like Zach Frazier, Troy Fautanu, and Max Iheanachor, while investing heavily in dual-threat tight ends like Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. Running back Jaylen Warren has proven explosive when given light, physical boxes, and is putting himself on pace for a career year.
Yet, as Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writers Christopher Carter and Ray Fittipaldo noted on βThe North Shore Driveβ podcast, Pittsburgh keeps abandoning its core strength in favor of dangerous, high-volume passing dropbacks.
"45 drop backs against the Patriots, 39 attempts and six sacks. Same in this pass game against the Browns, 40 pass attempts, five sacks," Fittipaldo highlighted. "You're doing that with a 43-year-old quarterback who cannot escape the rush and make plays and you're just asking for trouble."
Despite Warren's stellar play, the offense repeatedly detours into spread passing looks, putting immense pressure on an aging quarterback and an offensive line designed to push defenders backward, not set pass protection 40 times a game.
"Jaylen Warren is on pace for a Le'Veon Bell type of a season with his rushing and receiving," Fittipaldo added. "He's doing great, but they could feed him even more. Right now Jaylen Warren is almost on pace for double that [Kenneth Gainwell's 2025 total yards]. Just use your best player."
As Carter pointed out, McCarthy and Rodgers "are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole" by chasing the high-flying Packers passing attack of a decade ago. If the Steelers hope to salvage their season, the coaching staff must stop outthinking itself, dial back the dropbacks, and fully embrace the power-run identity built for Warren.
