Steelers Will Likely Let Go Of Veteran Free Agent "On The Brink Of Falling Apart"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a bunch of pending free agents, but as of March 6th, they have not re-signed or tendered a single one this offseason. There is a little bit of time left before the players hit the open market and can listen to offers in the legal tampering period. There are definitely a handful of guys that many people would say the team should bring back, like either of their free agent cornerbacks. Either way, with the sheer amount of resources the team has, it will be a very active time period with upcoming player transactions.

While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Mark Kaboly was asked about players that may or may not be re-signed before free agency begins. One player in particular was brought up as a guy that the Steelers seemingly want nothing to do with anymore, as opposed to the other way around.

"I don't think it's [Isaac Seumalo]'s choice; I think it's the Steelers' choice on that one," Kaboly said. "I think they believe he's on the brink of falling apart, yes. He didn't practice a lot."

When healthy, Isaac Seumalo has quietly been one of the best guards in the NFL, as well as the veteran leader of the young Steelers' offensive line. Even in a free agency market that has quite a few quality guards, his name has been floating around rumors all over the NFL. In his early-30s, he could end up still being a highly coveted lineman to help shore up some holes and get an offense on track. 

"When he's healthy" is the key phrase there. He has missed seven games over the last two seasons due to injury. In 2025, he left games early after getting injured repeatedly. He has been a great mentor and a great protector for this young offense, but when there's constant uncertainty about if he can play every single week, it makes sense for a team to just let him go and see what happens in free agency.

The Steelers are not worried about his ability as a lineman to break down and collapse; they're seemingly worried about his body completely falling apart. Of course, offensive lineman is one of the most physical positions in the NFL, and it can wear down a man's body quickly and even force them into early retirement. The fact that Seumalo has already played a decade is amazing in itself.

What other teams have to figure out is if the risk is worth the reward. Even as he enters his age 33 season, the upside that Seumalo offers is tremendous, and he can be a great mentor for a young, quality line. The risk is that he either suffers a big injury if his body does break down, or that he constantly has to be pulled from games -- which would force the backup to constantly have to come in cold. Pittsburgh likely does not want that risk anymore according to Kaboly.

Steelers Have Quality Internal Options To Replace Seumalo

Utility man Spencer Anderson has gotten a lot of playing time in recent years due to Seumalo's injury problem, and he has done well for himself for the most part. Entering a contract year, he could get a chance to be the starter to see if the Steelers want to stick with him long-term or not. They will likely at least sign a veteran to compete with him, but he could be the future at left guard. 

If offensive tackle Broderick Jones recovers well from his neck injury, he could be pushed to guard to help limit his weaknesses and allow him to play his game better. He is also in a contract year, and Khan likely wants his first draft move to pan out and be a success. That could mean that a shift is made to give Jones the best chance possible to succeed.

What do you think about the Steelers wanting nothing to do with Seumalo anymore? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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