Steelers Relay Troubling News Ahead of Ravens Playoff Matchup

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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin relayed a notable injury to an important starter following Week 18.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will officially close out the 2024 regular season on a four-game losing streak, setting them up with a road playoff matchup against the division rival Baltimore Ravens.

A loss and a wildcard round elimination would mean five straight defeats after a 10-3 start. Of course, a win over the Ravens wipes the slate clean, reigniting some of the Super Bowl belief that existed a month or so ago.

Having said that, playoff week didn’t get off to a great start on January 6, as head coach Mike Tomlin relayed that starting right guard Mason McCormick suffered a “broken hand” against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.

“He’ll be sized for a cast and/or a brace and [we’ll] check functionality there,” Tomlin added, regarding McCormick. Concluding that the “quality” of the rookie offensive lineman’s participation in practice will serve as “an indication of his potential availability” in Baltimore.

The Steelers HC also noted that veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is still under the weather with an illness. He was given the day off on Monday.

On the bright side, Tomlin said that cornerback Donte Jackson felt “good” on January 6. The veteran starter has been battling an ongoing back issue.

“We’ll watch [Jackson] throughout the course of the week and see what his participation does in terms of the possibility of his inclusion,” Tomlin stated.

Spencer Anderson Is Steelers’ Next Man Up If Unsung OL Hero Mason McCormick Is Unavailable vs. Ravens

To be clear, Tomlin has not ruled McCormick out at this time, but a broken hand is troubling to say the least, given how much offensive linemen use their hands at the line of scrimmage.

“If he can’t go, Spencer Anderson would be next man up,” Pat McAfee Show Steelers correspondent and long-time beat reporter Mark Kaboly reminded on X.

McCormick has emerged as one of the Steelers’ unsung heroes in 2024. After being selected in round four of the NFL draft, the rookie stepped into a full-time starting role when veteran RG James Daniels tore his Achilles.

He also spelled left guard Isaac Seumalo while he was injured earlier in the year.

Since Daniels’ injury, McCormick has been on the field for 936 offensive snaps according to Pro Football Focus, which ranks fourth for the entire Pittsburgh offense behind fellow offensive linemen Dan Moore Jr., Broderick Jones and Zach Frazier.

Sure, McCormick has pushed through some growing pains, similar to any rookie. But considering he wasn’t drafted to start in year one, he’s done a fantastic job.

Per PFF, McCormick has only allowed 17 quarterback pressures on the season in pass protection. He’s been charged with two sacks and a pass-blocking efficiency of 97.7.

Compared to the rest of the Steelers’ offensive line, those pass protection numbers come in second behind Frazier, stacking up even better than Seumalo — Pittsburgh’s best blocker entering the 2024 campaign.

McCormick has been a little less consistent as a run blocker according to PFF, with an accumulative grade of 53.7, but he’s certainly proven himself as a long-term solution at guard. If he’s unavailable or playing compromised versus the Ravens, it creates even more adversity for the Steelers to overcome on the offensive line.