Steelers’ Starting Left Tackle Set to Return After Scare With Serious Injury at Camp

Steelers fans finally received a wave of good news after a stretch of injury concerns along the offensive line. Their projected starter at left tackle is expected to return to practice tomorrow after missing most of Sunday’s session due to a lower-body soft-tissue injury, according to head coach Mike Tomlin.

“He should be out there tomorrow,” Tomlin said in a team-issued statement, easing some of the concern that had been brewing in Pittsburgh.

Sunday’s practice had been shifted indoors due to weather, and while the injured player didn’t appear to be fully dressed for on-field work, all signs now point to a quick return. Veteran tackle Calvin Anderson had taken reps at left tackle before the move indoors, replacing the original replacement, Dylan Cook. But the expected return will almost certainly bump both back to the second-team offense.

It wasn’t the only injury the Steelers are dealing with up front. Starting guard Isaac Seumalo continues to recover from a soft-tissue injury that occurred away from team activity. He’s currently on the NFI (non-football injury) list. Tomlin had no significant update, only calling his status “day-to-day.”

In Seumalo’s absence, Spencer Anderson has handled left guard duties with the starters, but that too may shift as the preseason unfolds. Second-year player Mason McCormick has made an impression at guard and pushed Seumalo down the depth chart even before this latest injury.

The Steelers had finally entered camp with clarity at all five starting offensive line spots — a rare luxury in recent years. However, early injuries have thrown off the unit’s rhythm and reduced valuable time for cohesion before the season opener.

This situation holds extra weight considering the upcoming contract decisions that loom for the left tackle position. The player in question is approaching a pivotal season — one that will help determine if the franchise picks up his fifth-year option in the spring.

That player is Broderick Jones — and tomorrow’s return marks the beginning of what could be a defining year in his Steelers career.