The Pittsburgh Steelers have a worst-case scenario with injured offensive guard James Daniels, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“Steelers starting guard James Daniels suffered an Achilles tear Sunday against Indy, per source,” Fowler tweeted. “He will be out for the season.
“Tough blow for a steady starter up front.”
Daniels left after the Steelers’ sixth offensive play in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts. The CBS broadcast reported the veteran guard suffered an ankle injury and was questionable to return, and the Steelers ruled him out before halftime.
#Steelers starting guard James Daniels suffered an Achilles tear Sunday against Indy, per source. He will be out for the season. Tough blow for a steady starter up front.
Daniels is in his third season with the Steelers. During his first two campaigns in Pittsburgh, he missed only two contests.
The Steelers have also been missing left guard Isaac Seumalo. But if there’s any silver lining, he returned to practice in limited fashion ahead of Week 4.
Steelers’ James Daniels Suffered Significant Injury
During the 2022 regular season, every Steelers starting offensive lineman played at least 96% of the team’s snaps. The completely healthy unit helped the Steelers turn around their season after a 2-6 start.
The team’s offensive line is more talented and possesses more depth than two years ago. But the line cannot catch a break on the injury front.
Daniels began his career as the No. 39 overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft for the Chicago Bears. He started 10 games as a rookie and then assumed a full-time starter role in 2019.
After four seasons with the Bears, Daniels signed a 3-year, $26.5 million contract. During his first season in the aforementioned 2022 campaign, he played every single snap for Pittsburgh.
But after his Achilles injury, Daniels may not play another snap for the Steelers. The 27-year-old is set to be an unrestricted free agent next March.
Steelers Dealing With Multiple Offensive Line Injuries
Daniels isn’t the only Steelers offensive lineman lost for the season. Rookie right tackle Troy Fautanu “tweaked his knee” on September 20 and landed on injured reserve the next day.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on September 23 Fautanu will miss the rest of the regular season.
Fautanu sat out Week 1 because of a knee injury, but he returned to start during Week 2 and was set to be the team’s starting right tackle going forward.
Seumalo suffered a pectoral injury on August 28. Had he needed surgery to repair the muscle, he would have been out for the season as well.
But fortunately for the Steelers, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported he didn’t require surgery. Although Seumalo avoided injured reserve as well, he has yet to play this season.
He returned to practice for the first time on September 25.
The interior offensive line injuries for the Steelers are worse because they also lost interior offensive lineman Nate Herbig during the preseason. He sustained a torn rotator cuff on August 20.
Herbig was competing for the team’s starting center job. That responsibility fell to second-round rookie Zach Frazier.
Both Herbig and Frazier would probably be playing now with the loss of Seumalo and Daniels. But without Herbig too, the Steelers will need to continue turning to inexperienced guards Spencer Anderson and Mason McCormick.
Anderson is a 2023 seventh-round pick who served as a backup tackle last year. The Steelers moved him to left guard after Seumalo’s injury.
Anderson started the first three games this season. McCormick started at left guard on September 29 against the Colts. The Steelers drafted McCormick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Despite not starting, Anderson played most of Week 4, as he replaced Daniels.
Even if Seumalo returns in Week 5, the Steelers will have to start either Anderson or McCormick at right guard the rest of the season.
