It should be a lock that the Arizona Cardinals will get a boost from their high draft pick. But their quarterback situation is tenuous, at best. Still, here is one free agent who would fix the Cardinals’ biggest flaw heading into the 2026 season.
The main area of rebuilding for the Cardinals is the offensive line. The team ranked No. 26 in the NFL for the 2025 season, according to Pro Football Focus.
“The Cardinals' offensive line was among the worst pass-blocking groups in the NFL this season,” Zoltán Buday wrote. “The unit ranked just 29th in PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating (82.3) after giving up 236 pressures on 746 snaps.”
So, under new head coach Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals need …
Cardinals’ free-agent fix is G Isaac Seumalo
The Cardinals are already solid at the center position. Hjalte Froholdt is underrated as a pass blocker, scoring a 72.0 rating from PFF. That put him in the top 10 among NFL centers.
And Seumalo would add strength to the middle of the line from a pass-blocking perspective. He was even better than Froholdt, with a grade of 78.5. That ranked No. 4 in the NFL.
Pairing these two guys in the middle of the line would soften the flaw that hounded the Cardinals through the 2025 season.
Seumalo earned Pro Bowl honors in 2024. That was the first such distinction of his 10-year NFL career. Age is a question mark for his free-agent value overall. He will turn 33 during the upcoming season.
But remember, this is a fix for 2026. The Cardinals have no realistic path to becoming a major contender this season. But they would like to win more games than they lose and have a reasonable chance to make the playoffs as the season draws to a close.
What would Isaac Seumalo cost on the market?
He won’t be cheap. Playing off of his improvements in recent seasons, Seumalo is expected to command a three-year deal worth just under $29 million.
That’s big bucks for a one-time Pro Bowler. But teams, like the Cardinals, realize there isn’t much available on the free-agent market this year in terms of linemen.
Assuming center Tyler Linderbaum accepts the Ravens’ generous offer, the next-best free agent lineman on the list, according to PFF, is Seumalo. And he stands at No. 16 overall.
Digging deeper, you have to travel to No. 32, where guard David Edwards resides. He’s one spot ahead of tackle Rasheed Walker.
It’s not that these guys aren’t good. But they aren’t game-changers. The lack of free-agent depth at this position increases Seumalo's value and leverage.
Will the Steelers work hard to keep Isaac Seumalo?
They might. But it’s hard to get a read right now, according to steelersnow.com.
“Isaac’s been great,” General Manager Omar Khan said. “We’ve had some conversations with his people. And obviously, we’ll evaluate the free agent class and the draft class. But Spencer Anderson, he played some, and we’re excited about his future. He came in and did some nice things for us this year, and he’s another guy who’s just gotten better and better every year.”
Pull back the tea leaves and strip out the weeds, and it sounds like the Steelers aren’t that interested in keeping Seumalo. Why else would the general manager be talking up his backup? If Anderson was all that great, why hasn’t he played more?
Sure, Anderson is much younger at 25. But he’s a former seventh-round pick. And he only has 11 starts in three NFL seasons. Doesn’t sound like a plug-and-play replacement for a guy one year removed from the Pro Bowl.
Adding that together, it sounds like the Steelers are ready to move on from Seumalo. And that’s good news for the Cardinals.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, their overall offensive line woes may not be fixable with one upgrade. However, if they get strong in the middle, it could alleviate some of the pressure at the tackle position. Therefore, a player like Seumalo could make a reasonable difference for the 2026 season.
