It will be at least another week until guard Isaac Seumalo makes his season debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team announced on September 28 that it has ruled out Seumalo for the Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Spencer Anderson is set to start his fourth straight game at left guard for the Steelers.
Seumalo started all 17 games for the Steelers last season, which was his first in Pittsburgh. He signed a 3-year, $24 million contract during the 2023 offseason.
According to Pro Football Focus, Seumalo was the best performing offensive linemen for the Steelers last season.
Pittsburgh also announced on September 28 that the team has elevated running back Aaron Shampkin and defensive back Thomas Graham from the practice squad for Week 4.
It will be the first time in Shampkin’s NFL career that he will dress for a regular season game. Graham last appeared in an official NFL game for the Cleveland Browns during the 2022 season.
Steelers’ Isaac Seumalo Will Not Play in Week 4
It’s disappointing for the Steelers that Seumalo will not dress again versus the Colts. But it’s not that unexpected.
Seumalo is progressing in his recovery, but he was a limited participant in practice throughout this past week. The Steelers listed him as doubtful after practice on September 27.
The veteran guard sustained a pectoral injury after the preseason. He returned to practice on September 25 for the first time since suffering the injury.
Had Seumalo needed surgery to repair his injured pectoral muscle, he would be missing the entire 2024 season. But Seumalo didn’t need surgery, so The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported he was expected to miss about a month.
Seumalo injured his pectoral in practice on August 28.
Getting back the veteran guard will be a huge boost for the Steelers offensive line. Interior offensive lineman Nate Herbig suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason, which pushed rookie center Zach Frazier into a starting role.
Rookie right tackle Troy Fautanu is also dealing with a serious injury. That’s forced struggling second-year tackle Broderick Jones back into the starting lineup.
Seumalo is not only Pittsburgh best, but most experienced lineman. He has started 77 games in his eight-year NFL career.
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