Second-year OL Spencer Anderson has earned a lot of quality looks this offseason. In part due to starting LG Isaac Seumalo being an elder statesman, Anderson has gained entry to a lot of first-team reps. But he never stopped taking his second-team reps, so he is gladly doing double duty.
Accordingly, he logged 42 snaps in the Steelers’ preseason debut on Friday night. Like Broderick Jones, they both switched sides during the game, Anderson playing both left and right guard. And he played a good game, which earned him a shoutout from the Steelers’ other guard, James Daniels.
In praising the Steelers’ rookie linemen, Daniels volunteered comment for him. “I was really impressed by Spencer [Anderson], too, because he switched halfway through the game to right guard”, he offered via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Speaking of those rookie linemen, the Steelers drafted three in 2024. They started with T Troy Fautanu in the first round, followed by C Zach Frazier in the second. The most immediate threat to Anderson is fourth-round Mason McCormick, a guard with some potential center flexibility.
A seventh-round pick out of Maryland in 2023, Spencer Anderson earned his roster spot last season through his versatility. Over the course of training camp and the preseason, he played all five line positions. This season, however, the Steelers wanted to see his ceiling, moving him to guard on a full-time basis.
Anderson did have one funny moment during Friday’s game. When a Texans defensive lineman rushed through the line before the snap, he bowled over backward. After the game, he said he hoped to draw an extra 15 yards in addition to the five-yard encroachment. His acting didn’t get the call, but it provided some levity to the broadcast.
While Anderson served as the eighth lineman last season, there is no guarantee he has a roster spot this year. The Steelers parted with veterans Mason Cole and Chukwuma Okorafor, but they also added the three rookies. All three are likely to make the roster, potentially leaving Anderson and Dylan Cook squaring off for the final spot.
The alternative is if the Steelers manage to move either Dan Moore Jr. or Nate Herbig, both currently starting. With Fautanu’s knee injury, however, any move for Moore seems less likely now. Frazier is likely to start, which makes Herbig less valuable, but they still need a backup center. The Steelers know Anderson can play there in a pinch, but he hasn’t done it this offseason.
Even though the Steelers have Anderson focusing on guard, they know that they have his versatility in their back pocket. While he isn’t likely to play this season, he is also potentially auditioning for a starting job in 2025. Despite James Daniels’ leadership and play, they are likely to allow him to walk in free agency. Anderson and Mason McCormick are both getting extended looks now with an eye toward that future possibility.
