Following a bout with malaria that nearly claimed his life, and a brief stint with the Patriots before a chest injury ended his time in New England, veteran offensive lineman Calvin Anderson’s future in the NFL was unclear.
Then the Pittsburgh Steelers came into the picture, offering him a chance to reset his career.
For Anderson, who appeared on the “Christian Kuntz Podcast” that published Thursday, the chance to sign with Pittsburgh in 2024, and then return in 2025 on a two-year deal in free agency was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“When I came here, my wife and I were talking about this actually not too long ago, which is the reason we came back. It just felt so aligned. It was an opportunity for me to sort of research my career after all the stuff I had gone through and sort of restart, rebuild,” Anderson said of signing with the Steelers and remaining with the franchise, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “I know the player I am, but like any year in football, you have to sort of restart in the sense that you show the coaches and your new teammates who you are and who you can consistently be. So I was kind of excited about that.
“But I remember when I first came and I came on the visit and I got to meet Mike T[omlin] and I got to meet some of the guys and just felt it’s a different place in terms of football locker rooms and organizations.”
Anderson’s comments about the Steelers, the locker room and the culture he felt right away on his visit isn’t any new information, or anything surprising. That’s been the common refrain when it comes to the Steelers from players who come into the setting from the outside. It’s a family-oriented organization that is quite welcoming and accommodating for players.
Anderson felt that right away. After a tough 2023 season in which he battled malaria, missed most of the season and also dealt with a chest injury, the 2019 undrafted free agent found himself at a crossroads in his NFL career when he was placed on injured reserve and released last August by the Patriots.
Just under a month later with then-rookie offensive lineman Troy Fautanu lost for the season to a knee injury, the Steelers needed some depth and experience at tackle behind Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones. That’s where Anderson came into the picture.
The Steelers signed Anderson on Sept. 23, shoring up depth. Though he played just 11 snaps in the regular season, Anderson stepped into the fold in the AFC Wild Card loss to the Ravens, playing 29 snaps in place of the injured Moore, allowing just one pressure.
It was limited action, but it was enough to garner a two-year deal in free agency from the Steelers, keeping him with the organization that offered him a chance to reset his career. Now, he enters the 2025 season in a key role as the swing tackle behind Jones and Fautanu under offensive line coach Pat Meyer.
While the opportunity on the field drew Anderson in on re-signing, the overall atmosphere within the organization and the opportunity to continue playing under a head coach like Tomlin was too appealing for him to consider going elsewhere.
“The players that have gotten to be here their whole career, I think they are very lucky. This is a unique place to be,” Anderson said. “Mike T’s one of a kind, in terms of leaders of men, in my opinion. I don’t think there’s many coaches in the world that are like him. And then there’s this culture of family and relationship, which you don’t always see in the league.
“You really don’t. It’s a family. This is a family-oriented building, man. I felt honored. I still do. That’s why we came back, that’s why we re-signed.”
The Steelers are a family-oriented organization. They always have been. Throughout the last five decades that’s been the case, and that’s why the Steelers are so revered by players and coaches alike. It’s what sets them apart and helps them not only attract but retain players.
While the NFL is a business and it can be ruthless, the Steelers operate in a different way. Tomlin is an approachable head coach, one who can connect with every player on the roster on a personal level. Not every head coach in the NFL can do that. It’s rare, and players appreciate it, like Anderson.
That reset for Anderson was good after a trying 2023, and now he’s in a place where he’s seemingly valued and has an opportunity to have an impact on the Steelers, both on and off the field. Things work out in mysterious ways, and Anderson is experiencing that, landing in a spot that he’s embraced after a bumpy road.
Check out the full episode of the “Christian Kuntz Podcast” with Anderson below.
