Will Mason McCormick or Spencer Anderson replace James Daniels for the Steelers?
Unfortunate news yesterday surfaced yesterday that Pittsburgh Steelers RG James Daniels will not play again this season, but who will between Mason McCormick and Spencer Anderson? Temporarily, the answer may be both, as we don’t know if Isaac Seumalo is ready to play. Eventually, however, one will have to start over the other.
With Seumalo missing time to begin the year, Anderson started the first three games, but McCormick rotated in eventually. On Sunday, McCormick started ahead of Anderson, the Steelers planning to rotate the two until Daniels went down.
Assuming Seumalo returns Sunday night against the visiting Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers have to decide if Mason McCormick or Spencer Anderson replaces James Daniels. One might think since McCormick started the last game that he is the obvious answer, but it’s more involved than that.
Let’s start with the fact that Spencer Anderson is more experienced at right guard where James Daniels played, and Mason McCormick is way more experienced at left guard, both in college and with the Steelers. If both were to start, McCormick would obviously play on the left, Anderson the right. But if there is only one open spot, and it’s at right guard where Daniels played, then what?
After Daniels’ injury, the Steelers left McCormick at left guard while Anderson plugged in at right guard. Anderson admitted that he is more comfortable there, even Seumalo noticing as much. McCormick, comparatively, has little experience playing there. He played 19 college snaps at right guard versus literally over 3,000 at left guard.
So while the Steelers may have determined that Mason McCormick was the better fit to replace Seumalo at left guard, Spencer Anderson may be the better answer to replace Daniels at right guard.
Again, the point may be moot this week if Seumalo doesn’t play. In that case, McCormick will start at left guard and Anderson at Daniels’ right guard spot, of course. But what about once Seumalo returns? McCormick may be better than Anderson in a vacuum, but who is the better right guard right now? That is what the Steelers will have to determine, possibly by the end of this week.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
