While Isaac Seumalo returned to practice yesterday after missing nearly a month with a pectoral injury, his 2024 Steelers debut may still have to wait another week or two. He only practiced on a limited basis, but as Mason McCormick told reporters, he has remained very active. Indeed, the 30-year-old veteran is acting like a coach while sidelined.
“It’s definitely nice having Isaac as another set of eyes”, McCormick said via the Steelers’ website. “He’s played so much ball and he’s played at such a high level. He’s helped us a ton with in-game adjustments. And just throughout the week preparing, he’s helped a lot”.
The Steelers signed Seumalo as a free agent last year. He immediately came in and established himself as arguably their best lineman, or at the least, most consistent one. Having previously dealt with myriad injuries, he seemed to be past that part of his career. This pectoral injury proves otherwise, though at least he managed to avoid surgery.
Fortunately for the Steelers, they stocked up on interior offensive linemen, already surviving a season-ending injury to Nate Herbig. They have rookie Zach Frazier starting at center with James Daniels a stalwart at right guard. At left guard, they have been starting Spencer Anderson in Isaac Seumalo’s place, but they began rotating in McCormick this past week.
And we shouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers decide to start McCormick over Anderson this week, even if they still rotate. The rookie fourth-round pick looked comfortable playing while he was at Seumalo’s spot, though less so in a tackle-eligible role.
Neither aspect is surprising, as Mason McCormick is a very seasoned college guard. He looked like the real deal throughout the preseason with some characteristics actually similar to Seumalo, a natural along the interior. But Broderick Jones was supposed to be the extra lineman before Troy Fautanu’s late-in-the-week injury.
McCormick suddenly found himself cramming to work on the outside rather than at just Seumalo’s position. According to Pro Football Focus, he took exactly one snap as an extra blocker during his college career, last season, so it’s not a role that is at all familiar to him. That doesn’t mean he can’t learn, and the Steelers have a history of success with extra blockers. While it’s mostly tackles, a guard can do it, too.
The Steelers drafted Mason McCormick partly with an eye toward him potentially starting as early as 2025. Daniels is an unrestricted free agent after this season, and they really liked McCormick, surprised no team drafted him before the fourth round. They had already drafted two linemen at that point, but they couldn’t resist. There is, of course, the Isaac Seumalo factor, both in terms of his age and his health.
While the Steelers opted for Anderson over McCormick to fill in for Seumalo initially, they now have proper tape upon which to judge. If Seumalo misses another week, we could see another rookie in the starting lineup, at least just this once.
