When Spencer Anderson was an underclassman at Maryland, one of his coaches talked to him about how injuries were starting to affect the offensive line.
The conversation ended with a request that sounded more like a demand: How would Anderson feel about switching from tackle to center for the team’s benefit?
Anderson’s response was probably more honest than he intended at the time. “I was like, ‘But I’m a tackle,’” Anderson said. Emphasis on “was.”
Anderson played as a center for a while before the Terrapins moved him to guard in his senior year of 2022. To his surprise, he found working in tight spaces a bit more enjoyable. No fast edge rushers to worry about—just another big guy across from him to battle.
“It’s less space inside, everything happens faster,” Anderson said.
The Pittsburgh Steelers noticed enough to draft Anderson in the seventh round of the 2023 draft, and he has spent the past 16 months playing in various positions.
This journey will lead Anderson to his first NFL start at left guard, replacing the injured Isaac Seumalo when the Steelers open the season at Atlanta on Sunday.
It’s a significant achievement for a player who understood early on that he needed to set aside his ego.
“Obviously I’m going to capitalize on every opportunity that I’m given,” Anderson said. “Just being ready, light on my feet and ready to work.”
Players drafted with the 251st pick, like Anderson, don’t have many options. The Steelers have moved him around both sides of the line during practice and preseason games, including some snaps at tackle, where Pittsburgh is theoretically strong with Dan Moore Jr., 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones (drafted 237 spots ahead of Anderson), and 2024 first-rounder Troy Fautanu, who has been held back by a knee injury.
The exact makeup of the offensive line for the game against the Falcons is still uncertain. Jones is listed as the right tackle and Moore as the left tackle on the depth chart, but Jones might switch to the right side if Fautanu is healthy enough to play.
Meanwhile, Anderson seems set to play next to rookie center Zach Frazier, as the offense adjusts to various changes.
Anderson aims to be a steady influence in the short term and also has a sense of humor. He made people laugh in the preseason opener against Houston when he was pushed before the snap, resulting in an offside penalty.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound player backpedaled and then fell to the ground, briefly getting up before dramatically collapsing again, much like a soccer player taking a dive.
“I was going backward. I was like, ‘Might as well don’t fall at this point,’” Anderson said with a smile. “So it was just kind of instinctual.”
There were no awards for his performance, just a minor reprimand from assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams, who told Anderson, “I understand this, but don’t do that again.”
Anderson hasn’t repeated the stunt. He understands the fine line between success and failure in the NFL. This is why, despite initially seeing himself as only a tackle—usually the most high-profile and highest-paid position along the line—he spent the offseason studying film of different positions.
“Being able to flip sides is something that I take seriously,” he said. “And something that I guess is specialization (in its own right).”
Coach Mike Tomlin has noticed this versatility. It’s one reason Anderson made the 53-man roster. Tomlin trusts Anderson as he takes on a significant role for the Steelers, who revamped their quarterback room after another early playoff exit and brought in Russell Wilson from Denver to lead an offense that has been a weak spot in recent years.
When asked about Anderson’s improvement since joining the team, Tomlin compared him to Kelvin Beachum, who started his NFL career with the Steelers as a seventh-round pick in 2012 and later became a starter with Jacksonville, the New York Jets, and Arizona.
