The Pittsburgh Steelers don't seem to be too concerned about the loss of standout left guard Isaac Seumalo. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sat around as the Arizona Cardinals swooped in to steal him away this offseason.
You don't know how good you have something until it's gone, as the saying goes. Seumalo was quietly a linchpin of the Steelers' offensive line over the past three seasons. They may not realize it yet, but his absence will be felt, barring the addition of an instant-impact rookie or a splashy move.
Meanwhile, others recognize just how important Seumalo was to the Steelers. He comes in at No. 21 on Sports Illustrated's (SI) collection of the top 50 2026 NFL free agency transactions. For context, the rankings "factor in the player's quality, the team's need at the position and the value of the deal."
Seumalo's placement on the list speaks to the level of talent the Steelers let walk out the door and have failed to replace thus far. However, SI only exacerbated the problem by highlighting exactly what Arizona is getting — and Pittsburgh's missing — in the Super Bowl LII champion:
"The Cardinals might not have a franchise quarterback, but they do have better protection for whoever is in the backfield by signing one of the best guards on the market [in Seumalo]."Â
Pittsburgh Steelers already feeling Isaac Seumalo's exit in 2026 NFL free agency rankings
Arizona signed Seumalo to a three-year, $31.5 million contract with $15 million guaranteed in March. The 2023 Pro Bowler openly admitted that money was among the reasons for his decision to join the Cardinals. However, he also expressed a desire to "win with a team that wants [him]."
Did the Steelers not want to retain Seumalo? If so, why not? He established himself as one of the league's most dependable protectors while donning the black and gold.
Across 14 games (excluding playoffs) with the Steelers in 2025, committed zero penalties and only allowed three sacks and one quarterback hit. He finished tied for third among all interior linemen in ESPN's pass block win rate (97 percent). His efforts earned him a strong 74.8 overall Pro Football Focus grade, good for 12th out of 81 qualified guards.
Interestingly enough, the same logic used to explain why Seumalo is a good fit in Arizona could've been applied to the Steelers. Neither club currently has its long-term signal-caller on the roster, regardless of Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy's attempt to hype up Will Howard.