Steelers A to Z: G Mason McCormick played like a veteran as a rookie 4th-rd pick in ‘24

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

G MASON MCCORMICK

Experience/age: 2^nd season, 25

Contract status: $1.15 million cap hit in 2025, signed through 2027

The past: A two-time first-team AP FCS All-American and four-time all-Missouri Valley Conference honoree while winning two FCS national title rings at South Dakota State, McCormick was a star at last year’s NFL combine (he posted the second-highest “Athleticism Score” among all guards at the combine, as calculated by the league). But perhaps because of his smaller-school pedigree, McCormick lasted until the fourth round. The Steelers had already taken two offensive linemen in the draft but at that point could not pass up the value in the 6-foot-5, 315-pound McCormick.

McCormick made it a wise investment. After a strong training camp and preseason, McCormick opened up the regular season on the active roster as a backup guard. The Steelers by Week 3 had already warmed to McCormick enough that they were giving him snaps as a “jumbo” tight end – typically a spot they assimilate young linemen into the offense. Any idea, though, that McCormick would have a slow integration into starting duty was abandoned after a season-ending injury to right guard James Daniels. McCormick during the game Daniels went down (Week 4 in Indianapolis) had already made his first start – at left guard, in place of injured veteran Isaac Seumalo. McCormick had that week just bypassed Spencer Anderson on the depth chart as the top backup guard.

Steelers starting RG Mason McCormick on building on his rookie year and playing next to fellow “sophomore” RT Troy Fautanu pic.twitter.com/5ZXHqumYUe

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) June 4, 2025

2025 outlook: McCormick would play every Steelers offensive snap from the start of Week 4 through into the second half of the regular-season finale. Though the vast majority of McCormick’s six college seasons had him as a starter at left guard, his only pro start at left guard was that September day in Indianapolis – he was the Steelers’ right guard the rest of the regular season until suffering a broken hand in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals. That injury prevented McCormick from playing in the Steelers’ playoff defeat in Baltimore.

McCormick is on record that right guard was and is no big adjustment for him. There’s a possibility he moves to left guard in 2026 after Seumalo’s contract expires. But that is the future. For now, McCormick is entrenched heading into Year 2 as the starter at right guard. He wasn’t perfect last season but overall was more than adequate for a rookie from an FCS program. Despite his status as a mere second-year player, McCormick is the second-oldest starter on the Steelers’ offensive line. He comports himself as such, showing poise and even some leadership qualities already. McCormick will probably never be a star but he could be the Steelers’ modern-day Ramon Foster – a longtime, reliable starter and sage presence on their o-line.