Steelers' Young Offensive Linemen Rave About 'Invaluable' Teammate

The Pittsburgh Steelers still have a lot of concerns surrounding the quarterback position, even after bringing in four players to fill the position room. Aaron Rodgers may be a decent stopgap option, but there is still no long-term option set in stone. It's hard to find a quality passer around the 20th overall pick in the draft, which could eventually lead to a very expensive trade-up. No matter who ends up calling signals for Pittsburgh, that player needs the best offensive line possible to truly thrive. 

The Steelers have been working on building up that line for a few years now, and 2025 will be that unit's chance to gel and develop together. As reported by TribLIVE's Joe Rutter, center Zach Frazier praised his teammate, Isaac Seumalo, for being the main guy that keeps them humming along together.

“He’s invaluable because that’s all we really have,” Frazier said. “He’s the oldest guy. It’s not like we have a ton of veterans. It’s crucial for us as young players.”

Even in a youth movement like Pittsburgh's, it's good to have that savvy veteran on the field helping everyone else out, especially if he plays at a high level. Seumalo's entering his 10th year in the NFL, and coming off of his first Pro Bowl selection. If anyone is going to stand out as the reason why the offensive line as a whole becomes a great unit, it will be Seumalo, especially with his experience from an elite line with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Frazier wasn't the only player to rave about Seumalo's impact on the positional group as a whole. Third-year tackle, Broderick Jones, gave Seumalo the same compliment that the center did.

"Even when we’re coming out of the huddle, he’s a guy who is emphasizing the snap count, the play," Jones said. "Everybody on the line knows the play, and everybody is on the same page. It’s a good thing... When you have someone who has been doing it for 10 years, it’s invaluable. The center is the one we lean on the most, but if Isaac has the trust in our center, and our center has trust in Isaac to make the call, I think we will be all right."

Jones has played a few games next to Seumalo, but 2025 will be the first time that he spends a majority of his time on the blind side. He still has a lot to work through to develop and be the guy that the Steelers expected him to be when they traded up for him, but what better way is there for him to become a high-end left tackle than to spend every day right next to the veteran of the group? 

Jones is coming off a horrible season at right tackle, where he allowed the second most sacks in the 2024 season, only behind his teammate at the time in Dan Moore Jr. The excuse used for him was that he has been playing out of position, and moving back to his comfort zone will give him the best chance to unlock those abilities. At very least, learning from Seumalo shouldn't hurt him at all.

Steelers Could Have To Make Tough Decision In The 2026 Offseason

Seumalo is a pending free agent after the season. He will be 33 years old in the 2026 offseason. Typically, teams don't like giving out quality contracts to players that old, but if the Steelers' offensive line thrives, the front office may have to consider it in 2026. Why take away the big piece of the unit when everything is clicking? Maybe the organization can give him a relatively inexpensive deal — similar to DeShon Elliott's extension — to make it work.