It doesn’t come as a big surprise after being labeled doubtful to end the week of practice, but the Pittsburgh Steelers announced on X via Burt Lauten that Seumalo is officially ruled out for the game.
Seumalo suffered a pectoral injury the Wednesday prior to the first week of preparation for the regular season opener. He fortunately avoided a serious injury, but will now miss his fourth game. He returned to practice this week with three limited practices before being labeled doubtful. There was thought to be a chance he would return, but by Friday it was pretty clear he would have to wait another week.
In his absence, second-year OG Spencer Anderson, who was a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been filling in at left guard in his place. The Steelers went to more of a rotation in Week 3 with Anderson getting the start, but rookie fourth-round OG Mason McCormick coming in at left guard throughout the game.
All signs point to McCormick getting his first NFL start on Sunday, though it could be another rotation in reverse order from last week.
The Steelers’ O-line has played better than expected through the first three weeks, especially considering the injuries they are dealing with. Along with Seumalo, OT Troy Fautanu suffered a knee injury in practice that could cost him the entire regular season. Many think that those two are the Steelers’ best offensive linemen right now.
That being said, James Daniels has been playing lights out at right guard. Rookie C Zach Frazier has had a wonderful start to his career, and Dan Moore Jr. has been solid at left tackle despite many calling for his job in the offseason.
Seumalo’s return will be a big help in providing Frazier with another solid veteran next to him to help him along. In the meantime, there could be a pair of rookies holding down two thirds of the interior of the offensive line.
For a breakdown on McCormick’s first regular season snaps, check out the film room I posted earlier in the week.
