After stating that he was optimistic he’d be able to play Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card matchup, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie right guard Mason McCormick is inactive for the playoff matchup at M&T Bank Stadium.
McCormick suffered a broken left hand during the Week 18 regular-season finale loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, exiting the game and giving way to second-year lineman Spencer Anderson.
Throughout the week, McCormick was limited in practice and wore a brace on his hand. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated earlier in the week that McCormick had a chance to play against the Ravens.
But, as the game drew closer, it became more and more apparent that McCormick wasn’t going to be able to go. The Steelers signing veteran offensive lineman Calvin Anderson to the roster on Saturday morning signaled that, too.
Prior to suffering the broken hand against the Bengals, McCormick was playing some decent football. He had an up-and-down season, which isn’t surprising for a rookie, but he was starting to settle in.
The South Dakota State product, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, entered the starting lineup following a season-ending injury to James Daniels. From Week 4 on, McCormick was a key starter in the trenches for the Black and Gold.
He played 936 snaps in the regular season, grading out at a 57.7 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 53.7 in run blocking and a 63.2 in pass blocking. McCormick was charged with 21 pressures and two sacks allowed on the season.
Though he had some issues as a run blocker late in the season, his physicality never waned as McCormick brought a real edge to the Steelers’ offensive line.
With McCormick inactive, Anderson is in line to start at right guard. He has some experience there, having played 64 snaps at right guard in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts after Daniels went down. Anderson also started the first three games of the season at left guard in place of the injured Isaac Seumalo.
