Steelers reportedly working out free agent linebacker Ryan Anderson

According to a report, the Steelers brought in a free agent linebacker for a workout to test the market at the position.

The Steelers head into Week 2 of the season without T.J. Watt, no matter what his actual diagnosis is. Right now, things seem to be more optimistic in terms of the amount of time that the star player will be away from the team with a pec injury. He could miss anywhere from a month or the rest of the year, but the most recent diagnosis shares very optimistic news.

There are players on this defense that can step up, but the depth behind them is not the strongest. Malik Reed was just added at the tail end of the preseason and should be able to hold his own, and Alex Highsmith looks to be in store for a giant season. The issue would be the fourth guy that is missing right now, but Pittsburgh could be looking at outside options.

The Steelers brought in free agent linebacker Ryan Anderson for a workout

According to a report by Tom Pelissero, the black and gold brought Ryan Anderson in for a visit. He worked out for the club and will hope to be signed to the roster. This news should not be shocking to fans as the team needs to gauge different options to try and help replace Watt and the depth that sits on the roster currently.

Anderson has been in the NFL for five seasons total and most recently spent time with the New York Giants in 2021. He has not been able to put things together since being drafted in 2017 by the Washington Commanders (they had different names during his tenure). This Alabama product is a former second-round selection that has not panned out as Washington had hoped.

Anderson has only started in a total of four games throughout his career and his stats reflect that. His best year came in 2019 when he totaled four sacks and nine quarterback hits. Anderson was mostly a depth player throughout his career and turned out to be a draft bust. He could always be an interesting depth piece for the Steelers moving forward.

Things seemed to be brighter in the days of college football for him during his time with the Crimson Tide. He was able to accumulate 19 sacks during his four years in college and added 39.5 tackles for loss to his resume before the draft. One thing led to another, and Anderson was just not able to make the jump to the next level at this juncture in his career.

He is a veteran presence that has some youth to his game as well. Another option could be having him sign onto the practice squad and have a player like Delontae Scott join the active roster for now. There are other interesting free agents currently on the market that Pittsburgh could investigate into further, especially if Watt’s injury is season-ending.

The Steelers brought in Ryan Anderson for a workout to see where he is currently at with his physical shape. He has not done a ton since becoming a draft bust in the NFL, but he could provide some depth.