Pittsburgh Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo was the team’s biggest free agent signing this offseason, coming over from the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles where he was an anchor at guard. He was also playing next to one of the best centers in the NFL in Jason Kelce, and now in Pittsburgh, he’s playing next to Mason Cole, who had a solid year last year. Seumalo told Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on Movin’ The Chains on SiriusXM NFL Radio that Cole has all the qualities to be a great center.
“He’s smart, strong, athletic. All the qualities you see in great centers, he has them. And he’s showing it,” Seumalo said.
Cole was named a potential breakout candidate by Bucky Brooks, and after a solid first year in Pittsburgh, there’s still room to grow. After a season where Kendrick Green was an absolute mess at center in 2021, it was nice to have some stability at the position with a veteran in Cole who had 39 career starts between the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals prior to joining Pittsburgh. He had the best season of his career in 2022, and along with fellow free agent James Daniels at guard, the Steelers line took a step forward from where they were in 2021.
With Seumalo now in the mix, Pittsburgh’s line is bound to get even better. He was among the best guards available in free agency, and Kelce called him one of the best guards in the NFL. Across the board, Pittsburgh made it a mission to improve their line, drafting Broderick Jones in the first round and adding depth with the signing of Nate Herbig.
If Cole can build off what he did last season, he could transform into one of the better centers in the league. It helps to have two Pro Bowl-level talents next to him in Daniels and Seumalo, and Cole’s only getting better as the years go on. Now entering his age-27 season, Cole is a veteran who’s still in his physical prime and could have that breakout-type season that Brooks predicts.
A step forward from Cole would be massive for Pittsburgh’s offensive line. Having a premium center who can pave the way at the pivot, communicate with the quarterback and the rest of the line and open up holes in the run game is one of the most important things an offense can have. The Steelers saw the value of having a premium center with Maurkice Pouncey, and while Cole isn’t likely to get on that All-Pro level, he can still perform as an upper-echelon center to help transform Pittsburgh’s line.
Good line play is going to be one of the keys to success for the Steelers this year, and Seumalo, Cole and Daniels will be at the heart of it as the interior of the line. The Steelers will go as they go, and hopefully it leads to a postseason appearance for Pittsburgh.
