Pittsburgh Steelers Exit Meeting: OT Calvin Anderson
Experience: 5 Years (1 with Steelers)
The Steelers didn’t count on being one snap away from Calvin Anderson starting a game last April. They figured, I’m sure, that at the very least, they would have quality tackle depth. For the second year in a row, they drafted a tackle in the first round.
But when Troy Fautanu went down early in the season, they had to pivot. The Steelers signed veteran Calvin Anderson, and he became their swing tackle in late September. He ultimately played in four games, including three on offense, but only 11 snaps in total. Twice, he played only one snap in a game, his most being nine against the Raiders.
Calvin Anderson is a 2019 college free agent out of Texas. He spent three years with the Broncos and one with the Patriots before finding his way to Pittsburgh. In late August, New England placed Anderson on IR, but released him a few days later, and the Steelers signed him a month after that.
Of course, they would have preferred to have no need for him, at least not on the 53-man roster. The Steelers had Dan Moore Jr., Broderick Jones, and Troy Fautanu at tackle, Anderson not even on the team. They kept Dylan Cook on the practice squad and had Spencer Anderson as a tackle-capable option.
Prior to signing with the Steelers, Calvin Anderson logged about 900 snaps with 12 career starts in 37 games over a four-year period. His most extensive playing time came in 2022, starting seven games for the Broncos.
It just so happens that that year the Broncos had Steelers QB Russell Wilson as their starter with Anderson. I have no idea whether he put in a good word for his former teammate or not, but there was at least that connection.
The Steelers only signed Anderson out of need, and they hope not to need him again. While they have invested pretty considerably in their offensive line over the past few years, they can’t afford to stop. In just the last two years alone, they have drafted five linemen, all of whom remain on the roster. But they will have to continue to supplement, with the third tackle position being a fairly quiet yet significant need.
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at home, the inevitable result of another early playoff exit. This is a repeated pattern for the organization, with no clear end in sight. As the Steelers conduct their own exit meetings, we will go down the roster conducting our own. Who should stay, and who should go, and how? Who should expect a bigger role next season, and who might deserve a new contract? We’ll explore those questions and more in these articles, part of an annual series.
