Steelers Rule Starting Offensive Lineman Out vs. Colts

The Pittsburgh Steelers will not get an injury return they were hoping for in Week 4, as left guard Isaac Seumalo has been downgraded from doubtful to out for the team’s game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, team spokesman Burt Lauten announced on Saturday.

Seumalo had been attempting to return from a preseason pectoral strain this week, and had been a limited participant in all three practice sessions this week after not participating in any practices the first three weeks. Instead, he will miss his fourth game with the injury. Seumalo was initially listed as doubtful before being downgraded to out.

Second-year offensive lineman Spencer Anderson started the first three games at left guard in place of Seumalo, but he yielded some playing time to rookie Mason McCormick in Week 3. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that rotation could continue this week.

“We’ll continue to do some of the things that we did at left guard last week in terms of Spencer and Mason both getting work and watching those guys throughout the week to kind of decide how we divvy up the labor based on that performance,” Tomlin said on Tuesday.

McCormick, the team’s fourth-round pick out of South Dakota State this spring, took a bigger role in practice this week, and could be in line to make his first NFL start.

“I’m super excited,” he said on Friday. “Any opportunity you get to play this game, it’s a fun one. I look forward to the challenge and whatever happens, happens.”

In addition to starting at left guard last week, Anderson is the team’s top backup at tackle after injuries to both Troy Fautanu and Dylan Cook. Last week, the Steelers elevated John Leglue from the practice squad as their eighth offensive lineman. For this week, they’ve added free agent tackle Calvin Anderson.