Backup lineman Max Scharping has gone down with a torn ACL and will miss the duration of the season, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport initially reported that Scharping went down with a significant knee injury during Wednesday’s practice and there was a fear that it was significant. Those fears turned out to be true as Pittsburgh loses a depth piece on an already struggling offensive line.

Scharping is a six year veteran who prior to playing in Pittsburgh has had stops with the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans with stints on Philadelphia and Washington's practice squads. 

He served as the backup to right guard Mason McCormick, who Pittsburgh selected in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft.

Originally, McCormick was the starting right guard in his rookie season but due to a hand injury, had to sit out for Pittsburgh’s lone playoff game, which ultimately opened the door for Scharping to get an opportunity.

In his limited snaps with the Steelers in 2024, Scharping was a reliable guard, and in two games, he posted a 74.3 overall grade on PFF.

Scharping wasn’t expected to be a crucial part to the every day offense, but he’s shown that in limited reps, he can step in and perform well when needed.

For now, nothing changes on the offensive line, but should anyone else go down, the loss of Scharping can prove to be detrimental.

Pittsburgh has one interior lineman on their practice squad that is a candidate to be brought up in Steven Jones who received a decent amount of reps during the preseason.

In 82 combined snaps split between right tackle and right guard, Jones allowed one sack and four pressures according to PFF.

Several questions have been raised about the Steelers offensive line. 

In his first two games with the franchise, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been sacked a total of seven times, and not only that the rushing attack is performing at a bottom-three level. The disappointment with rookie running back Kaleb Johnson is apparent after Week 2’s special teams disaster, and Jaylen Warren is only averaging 3.4 yards per carry.

However, coach Mike Tomlin isn't worried at all, in fact, he feels great about his line.

“I feel great about it, to be honest with you,” Tomlin said to the media. “I like our group. We’re going to continue to get better. We have to work in that spirit.”

The Steelers visit the New England Patriots for Week 3, and will kickoff at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.