Coming into Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers' planned left guard rotation between rookie Mason McCormick and former seventh-round pick Spencer Anderson was a point of consternation for fans.
Many fan bases would not pay so much attention to who the backup replacing star lineman Isaac Seumalo is, but Steelers Nation has kept an eagle eye on the offensive line, especially after deploying the rotation at right tackle in Week 2.
That watchfulness by fans is especially natural given the three rookie linemen drafted in the first four rounds in the 2024 draft, a major attempt by Omar Khan and Andy Weidl to establish a depth chart that can run smash-mouth football.
The offensive line last year was largely a liability but things appeared to be looking up in the first three games of the 2024 season, other than Broderick Jones' series of miscues against Denver.
However, Week 4 of the season changed everything for the worse. In a game full of mistakes from the boys in black and gold, the guards were often a weak point on the line.
Going up against a depleted Colts front four that included the loss of 2021 first-round pick Kwity Paye and former All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, most felt the Steelers' thus-far disappointing run game would take off against Indy.
That hope was dashed almost immediately, as the Colts stuffed the Steelers on the ground. Making matters worse, starting right guard James Daniels, who looked exceptional last week, suffered an injury that forced his early exit.
Thus, the man who had just been benched, Spencer Anderson, found himself thrust back into the limelight, just like Jones before him when Troy Fautanu went down with an injury in Week 3.
The young guards were not able to open holes for Najee Harris between the tackles whatsoever. On the bright side, McCormick and Anderson were actually not so bad in pass protection. Still, things need to be better in both areas moving forward.
Hopefully, Seumalo, who returned to practice this week, will be able to suit up in Week 5, but now the Steelers have to worry about both guard spots with Daniels hurt.
As a result, some free-agent help, like a veteran on a cheap deal, could be in order. So, too, could looking to other teams' practice squads, because this is not currently good enough.
