Steelers Place OG Isaac Seumalo On Non-Football Injury List

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter training camp and the 2025 season as a mostly healthy group of 91 players. However, veteran OG Isaac Seumalo was placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list (NFI) due to what head coach Mike Tomlin referred to as a “soft tissue” injury, per reporters. He is now slated to miss the start of training camp. The team officially placed Seumalo on NFI Wednesday.

While the severity of Seumalo’s injury is not known, he is eligible to be activated off the NFI list at any time. Being placed there does not create an extra roster spot for the team.

Seumalo missed the first month of 2024 due to a pectoral injury suffered right before the season. His absence will create more opportunities for young Steelers offensive lineman like Spencer Anderson, who could be the first-team left guard until Seumalo is cleared to return. It’s worth noting that even if healthy, Seumalo received as many off days as any Steeler last training camp, which would’ve lent itself to Anderson and others seeing additional reps.

According to Ray Fittipaldo, Anderson will get the first crack at Seumalo’s guard spot while he’s injured.

Beyond Seumalo, no other Steelers were placed on NFI, PUP, or any other related injury lists. It gives the team a healthy 90 of 91 players for its first training camp practice Thursday.

Linebacker Cole Holcomb is expected to practice after missing half of 2023 and all of 2024 due to a severe knee injury. He returned to practice late in 2024 but wasn’t activated from Reserve/PUP. It’s unclear if the Steelers will limit and monitor his reps the way the team did with CB Cory Trice Jr. a year ago, slowly ramping him up over the course of the summer. Holcomb is battling for a spot on the team’s 53-man roster, competing with Mark Robinson and Carson Bruener for two of the team’s final inside linebacker spots.

Players who battled injuries a season ago are fully healthy. Wide receiver Roman Wilson logged just five offensive snaps as a rookie due to multiple injuries. Veteran S Juan Thornhill battled a calf injury in Cleveland. Then-rookie OT Troy Fautanu suffered a season-ending knee injury in September and never returned to practice while DL/EDGE DeMarvin Leal had his season cut short by a neck injury. Both practiced throughout the spring with Fautanu declaring himself fully healthy earlier Wednesday.

While healthy, several veterans are likely to see reduced reps during camp. DL Cam Heyward and EDGE T.J. Watt are tenured Steelers veterans who are doubtful to practice every day. New additions like CB Darius Slay and QB Aaron Rodgers could also work on a pitch count.

Entering training camp healthy and exiting it as such are two different things. The team’s goal will be avoiding long-term injuries to any key players. Quarterbacks avoiding the blocking sled during today’s conditioning test will be a good place to start.

Pittsburgh holds its first training camp practice at 1:55 PM/EST Thursday. We’ll be there to provide the play-by-play and highlights.