Pittsburgh Steelers rookie OL Mason McCormick made his offensive debut this past Sunday. Many believe he could make his staring debut this weekend. With starting LG Isaac Seumalo still working his way back from injury, it could be McCormick’s time.
In the first two games of the season, the Steelers started Spencer Anderson to fill in for Seumalo. But head coach Mike Tomlin had McCormick rotate in with Anderson during last Sunday’s game. He played 25 offensive snaps in all, though that includes some as an extra lineman. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes McCormick may start against the Colts this time with Anderson rotating in. He reiterated that thought multiple times during his latest chat session.
“If Seumalo does not play I think we’ll see even more of McCormick. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started”, he wrote at one point. Later, he wrote that they will play the best player and reiterated, “don’t be surprised if McCormick starts”. During another part of the chat, a commenter asked if he believed McCormick would start in Seumalo’s absence, and, well, you get the idea.
Of course, it’s never a good sign for you if your head coach starts rotating you out of the game. Anderson has been the weakest link of the offensive line, even if he hasn’t played poorly. But Mason McCormick could potentially spark some more life into the unit, particularly in the run game.
With Seumalo hopefully returning in another week or two at worst, it would also provide the Steelers with an opportunity to get a good look at McCormick. They talked about their likely need for a starter in 2025 when they drafted him. It’s good to have the chance to see that now before it becomes a necessity.
The Steelers selected Mason McCormick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, their third of three offensive linemen taken. First-round pick Troy Fautanu and second-round pick Zach Frazier already cracked the starting lineup. Fautanu is now on the Reserve/Injured List, however, and could miss the remainder of the season.
While Frazier is already looking like a stud, the Steelers hope they strike on another in McCormick for the future. RG James Daniels is a free agent next year, and they don’t seem intent on re-signing him. Seumalo is also getting older, for that matter.
While he wasn’t flawless in his debut, particularly when playing as the sixth lineman, McCormick did show real potential. And to that point, he only started working as the extra blocker late in the week. The Steelers planned for Broderick Jones to serve in that role before Fautanu’s injury. McCormick can definitely improve in that role with more experience.
But he may not have that opportunity if he is starting. Personally, I hope the Steelers do start Mason McCormick. I’ve already advocated for him, arguing he should have started over Anderson in Seumalo’s place. I think he has the talent to be a quality NFL starter and has enough to look good right now.
