The Pittsburgh Steelers have significantly improved along the offensive line this season. That clearly showed for Mike Tomlin’s team in Week 16 against the Detroit Lions with the offense rushing for a season-high 230 rushing yards.
The Steelers set that high-water mark for 2025 without two starting linemen. One top offensive line backup was also out, and a reserve lineman in the game played through an injury.
Those injuries didn’t slow down the Steelers, which greatly pleased Tomlin. During his postgame press conference, Tomlin shared how proud he was of his team’s resiliency and specifically called out the play from new starting left tackle Dylan Cook.
“That’s what I mean when I say we’ve got a no-blink group,” Tomlin told reporters in his postgame press conference. “It’s not like things are ideal.
“Man, I can’t say enough about Dylan Cook, for example. I mean, that’s our fourth left tackle. We ran for 200-plus yards today with that guy. But it’s a lot of example of that, man.
“What’s what team is about, and I’m just appreciative of their efforts.”
Cook made his second NFL start and third regular season appearance in the league Sunday during Week 16. According to Pro Football Focus, Cook has been one of Pittsburgh’s top offensive players since entering the lineup.
Steelers’ Dylan Cook Receives Praise From Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers
Tomlin wasn’t the only Steelers leader highly complimentary of the new starting left tackle after Week 16. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers also sounded very impressed from Cook’s play.
“I thought they played fantastic,” Rodgers said of the offensive line after beating the Lions. [Andrus Peat] was in there for a little bit as well because Spencer [Anderson]’s a little banged up.
“But I really enjoyed Dylan’s energy and confidence in the huddle. Thought he played really damn good.”
Lions Pro Bowl edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson sacked Rodgers once while Cook was assigned to block him. But Rodgers told reporters he “ran into” that sack.
Rodgers needed 41 passes to throw for 266 yards. But the Steelers converted 8 of 16 third-down attempts, some of which were long throws down the field. Cook protected Rodgers’ blindside on those passes.
On the ground, running back Jaylen Warren scored two 45-yard touchdowns on plays to Cook’s side of the line.
The Steelers averaged 9.9 yards per carry against the Lions in Week 16. In Cook’s two starts, the team has averaged 6.2 yards per rush.
Cook to Start Again at Left Tackle?
An undrafted free agent from 2022, it took four years and three injuries for Cook to get on the field during the NFL regular season. But clearly, he’s taking advantage of his opportunity.
Before facing the Lions, Tomlin described the left tackle situation as week-to-week. That’s understandable given that Cook is still inexperienced, and Broderick Jones is technically eligible to return from injured reserve beginning in Week 17.
But in the middle of a playoff chase, the Steelers are likely to stay with the best performing left tackle. That’s arguably been Cook this season.
Jones might not be available anyway. On November 30, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported Jones’ neck injury was “more serious than originally thought” and that he would miss the rest of the season.
The former first-round pick has been on IR for four weeks. The league requires all IR stints to be at least four games.
Swing offensive lineman Calvin Anderson is also on injured reserve. Anderson is not eligible to return before the end of the regular season.
That forced the Steelers to start 32-year-old veteran Andrus Peat at left tackle in Weeks 13 and 14. But in Week 14, Peat left a concussion, giving way for Cook to play.
While Peat has returned, Cook has remained at left tackle. After beating the Lions, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to change.
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