Steelers GM Gives Vote of Confidence to Young Offensive Lineman

INDIANAPOLIS — Mason McCormick was a surprise pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2024 NFL Draft, with the team taking the guard in the fourth round, when they had two incumbent starters at the position under contract for 2024.

Then, McCormick became a surprise starter, when starting right guard James Daniels suffered a season-ending Achilles injury early in the season.

McCormick exceeded expectations as a rookie starter out of a small school in South Dakota State. He, Zach Frazier and Broderick Jones combined to give the Steelers three starters on the offensive line all less than 25 years old.

But obviously, the Steelers weren’t planning on McCormick playing as much as he did in 2024, and they probably weren’t planning on just handing him the job for 2025 after Daniels’ contract expired.

How much he ended up playing and the quality of that play could change their mind, though, and it appears that it has.

Despite a strong free agent class of offensive guards, Steelers general manager Omar Khan was effusive in his praise for McCormick when asked about his plans for the position at the 2025 NFL Combine on Tuesday.

“It was awesome,” Khan said. “Mason came in, a small school guy. He came in and this was not too big for him. I love his progression, and I think the future is bright for him and he gives us good options at the position.”

Khan didn’t explicitly commit to the idea of keeping McCormick in place as the starter for 2024, but he certainly seemed to hint at it.

There are plenty of upgrades available on the free agent market, such as Trey Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs, Will Fries of the Indianapolis Colts, Teven Jenkins of the Chicago Bears, Kevin Zeitler of the Detroit Lions and Mekhi Becton of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

But it doesn’t sound likely that Khan will be seeking an upgrade from that group. He may turn back to the draft, where the team could find another developmental player to draft as a potential future replacement for left guard Isaac Seumalo, whose contract is set to expire in 2026.