Pittsburgh has already performed with out its different guard starter — Isaac Seumalo — all through the season. The ex-Eagle is anticipated to return quickly, as he isn’t on IR, however the crew’s preliminary beginning heart — Nate Herbig — is on IR resulting from a torn rotator cuff sustained throughout the preseason. The Steelers positioned Herbig on IR and not using a preseason return designation, ending his season. Daniels’ harm provides to a burgeoning disaster for the 3-1 crew up entrance.
It is a brutal blow for Daniels, who exited the Steelers’ Week 4 loss as Professional Soccer Focus’ top-ranked guard. The previous Bears second-round choose, primarily based on the place this 12 months’s guard market went, was poised to money in on a profitable third contract. The Steelers, who don’t negotiate in-season, didn’t prolong Daniels. Whereas the crew holds unique negotiating rights with the Iowa alum till the 2025 authorized tampering interval, Daniels’ value most likely drops — maybe considerably — resulting from this setback.
Daniels, 27, signed a three-year deal price $27M in 2022. He joined heart Mason Cole as free company imports introduced in, because the Steelers deliberate to pick Ben Roethlisberger‘s inheritor obvious and equip him with veteran O-linemen. The Kenny Pickett plan failed, and the crew made Cole a cap casualty early this offseason. However Daniels remained in Pittsburgh’s designs. He had missed simply two video games with the crew from 2022-23.
Whereas Daniels had loomed as a potential offseason extension recipient, the seventh-year blocker subsequently confirmed the Steelers were not planning to pay him this year. The crew doesn’t subject a very expensive O-line, with no eight-figure-per-year contracts up entrance, and is paying low-level cash to its two quarterbacks of notice. However Daniels nonetheless entered the season with out an extension. Now, his future is a bit cloudy.
Pittsburgh has used 2023 seventh-round choose Spencer Anderson instead of Semualo to start out the season; the 2023 free company pickup has missed time with a pectoral harm sustained shortly earlier than the season. Semualo shouldn’t be on IR however has already missed 4 video games. A weekend report additionally indicated the ex-Eagle was not quite ready to return, pointing to a possible Anderson-Mason McCormick guard duo — round rookie heart Zach Frazier — in Week 5.
The Steelers selected McCormick in Spherical 4 this 12 months. McCormick already usurped Anderson for the beginning LG gig in Week 4, with the duo platooning to open the sport. PFF grades Anderson because the NFL’s fifth-worst guard, amongst certified choices. Seumalo’s debut may restore this setup; till then, the Steelers will likely be pressured to go younger at guard on an O-line that already options second-year deal with Broderick Jones.
