First and 10: Success of Steelers Offense Leans on Kevin Colbert

By Alan Saunders

·June 29, 2022

Much has been made about the Pittsburgh Steelers having the lowest-paid offense of any team in the NFL this offseason, and what that means for the team’s outlook in 2020.

Part of the reason for that salary disparity is that for the first time in a long time, the Steelers aren’t paying an established quarterback big money.

The other reason is that the Steelers have an incredibly young offense, built mostly on the last two draft classes. Those players have contracts that are dictated by the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement. It doesn’t matter how good they are, they get paid what they get paid.

Of the 11 starters on offense, four could come from Kevin Colbert’s 2021 NFL Draft class (RB Najee Harris, TE Pat Freiermuth, LT Dan Moore, C/G Kendrick Green) and two more could come from his 2022 NFL Draft Class (QB Kenny Pickett, WR George Pickens).

Only three players that appear to be in a conversation to start were not drafted by Colbert: QB Mitch Trubisky and OL James Daniels and Mason Cole.

Young means cheap thanks to the NFL’s labor rules, but young doesn’t necessarily mean bad. If Colbert’s drafting success can pay off one more time, the Steelers could have a productive offense in 2022 despite the lack of financial investment.

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