Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers guard Mason McCormick is confident in the offensive line’s ability to take the next step in 2025.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have invested a ton of draft capital into their offensive line over the past couple of years. Second-year guard Mason McCormick believes it’s time to put up or shut up.
“We’ve been developing and it’s definitely time for us to step up, and I think we’re excited,” McCormick said. “We’re ready. We’re just gonna keep attacking every day and the result will keep getting better.”
McCormick actually has the least amount of investment as a fourth-round pick (No. 119) in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is among first-round offensive tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu, second-round center Zach Frazier and veteran guard Isaac Seumalo, who signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Steelers in 2023.
However, that’s exactly why he knows he has a lot to prove heading into the second year of his NFL career.
“As a rookie, there’s just kind of a lot of thinking,” McCormick said. “I just want all that stuff to become second nature so I can really fine tune the little details, which I feel like it has been. I feel like I haven’t really forgotten anything from last year and through the offseason, so I’ve really hit the ground running and I feel like we’re ready to take that step.”
Jones and Fautanu may have even more to prove in 2025, though.
Jones, the Steelers’ first-round pick (No. 14) in the 2023 NFL Draft, has had a shaky start to his NFL career, but he is finally set to play in his natural position at left tackle. If he can’t make it work there, his days will likely be numbered in Pittsburgh.
Fautanu, on the other hand, missed his entire rookie season after suffering a season-ending knee injury. But he knows the pressure is on after Pittsburgh used its first-round pick (No. 20) in the 2024 NFL Draft on him.
Only time will tell if the Steelers young offensive line will live up to expectations, but if it doesn’t, it won’t be because of a lack of confidence.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mason McCormick Foresees Big Jump for Steelers Young O-Line: ‘We’re Ready’
