The Pittsburgh Steelers are grappling with significant injuries to their offensive line as they prepare for Week 16 against the Detroit Lions. Starting center Zach Frazier and left guard Isaac Seumalo both sat out Thursday's practice with triceps injuries, complicating the team's contingency plans. Veteran reporter Ray Fittipaldo highlighted how these absences could disrupt personnel groupings.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line depth is under strain heading into Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET matchup against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Isaac Seumalo exited last week's win over the Miami Dolphins with a triceps injury and was quickly ruled out by the team, a development that typically signals a longer absence. Now, rookie center Zach Frazier has joined him on the sideline, listed as a non-participant in Thursday's practice due to his own triceps issue.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ray Fittipaldo explained the ripple effects on the Steelers' strategy during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s PM Team. “He just popped up on the injury report today, and I don’t have a lot of information. Hopefully, it’s not something that keeps him from playing, but here’s the real significance of this. If he cannot play, they were sort of toying with the idea of having Ryan McCollum play guard [and] Spencer Anderson concentrate on being the jumbo tight end instead of going back and forth,” Fittipaldo said. “But now, if Zach Frazier cannot play, Ryan McCollum is your backup center. So it would kind of throw off the entire personnel grouping that they have.”
McCollum has limited experience at guard, logging just four snaps there this season—his only NFL reps at the position. The Steelers had success with Anderson as a tackle-eligible in their jumbo package, as seen in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers, where he played 44 of 49 snaps at left guard after Andrus Peat's false start. However, shifting Anderson back and forth disrupts muscle memory, and the team prefers keeping him in the 10-12 snap range per game at tackle-eligible.
Adding to the challenges, swing tackle Andrus Peat is limited in practice due to a concussion that sidelined him last week. He needs a full session Friday to advance through protocol and be available. If Seumalo and Frazier both miss the game, Pittsburgh may need to elevate practice squad linemen like Steven Jones, Jack Driscoll, Doug Nester, or David Sharpe to meet the eight active linemen requirement. The Lions' physical defensive front will test the Steelers' reserves, potentially forcing head coach Mike Tomlin to adapt his lineup on the fly.