There was a method behind the Pittsburgh Steelers' madness with their decisions along the offensive line. Instead of throwing their rookie draft picks to the wolves early in the 2026 season, they began the year with more experienced players at right guard and right tackle.
Unfortunately, this strategy has blown up in their faces.
As a unit, the Steelers have botched assignments left and right in the first two weeks of the season. Spencer Anderson's performance has been the worst of all. The 2023 seventh-round pick was handed the keys to the starting right guard role (perhaps thanks to his seniority with the team), but he's been nothing short of a disaster.
It only took two weeks to hit the 'eject' button on the offensive line, but the Steelers need to make a change at right guard—and we would expect to see one coming after last week. While inserting veteran Brock Hoffman (who played under McCarthy in Dallas) feels like the safe play, Pittsburgh just needs to rip the band-aid off and go with Gennings Dunker.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to replace Spencer Anderson immediately
After grinding the all-22 film from the first two weeks of the season, there's no question that Anderson is the weakest link on Pittsburgh's offensive line. Though he's had some respectable reps as a run blocker, he still struggles in this department overall. However, it's his pass protection that is particularly hard to stomach.
Anderson allowed seven pressures in Week 2 alone, and I counted nine egregious plays in pass protection against the New England Patriots. No other right guard in the NFL allowed more than four pressures in Week 2. This isn't a one-time offense either. Anderson was awful in the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, too.
The Steelers need a change at right guard; there's no question about that. But I would argue it's best to skip the Brock Hoffman experiment and go straight to Gennings Dunker.
The Steelers should skip Brock Hoffman and look to Gennings Dunker for the answer at right guard
One of the likely reasons the Steelers started Anderson in the first place is because they thought he would do enough not to wreck the game. So much for that theory. Anderson literally allowed the sack-forced fumble on Aaron Rodgers that was scooped up for a defensive touchdown in Week 2. Could Dunker do anything more egregious than that on the football field? Unlikely.
While Hoffman might offer stopgap-starter ability, the former Dallas Cowboy is limited by an undersized frame, subpar athletic traits, and modest anchoring ability. His best play has come from filling in at center in a pinch.
Instead, the Steelers should turn to Dunker, their third-round pick from the 2026 NFL Draft.
Though he was a tackle at Iowa, Dunker has an elite size/athletic profile for an NFL guard... and he looks the part. With broad shoulders and a powerful lower body, Dunker has the physical tools and strength to keep the pocket from caving in. It's just a matter of harnessing his ability and cleaning up the mechanics.
Admittedly, this is easier said than done. There were reports of Dunker struggling in pass protection late in Steelers training camp, and he had one blatant pass-block rep in the preseason that had fans cringing.
Still, the positives outweigh the negatives, and the potential upgrade over Anderson could be notable. Because their starter at right guard to begin the season has already failed miserably, there's never been a better time to insert Dunker into the lineup. The big guard could start developing chemistry with the rest of the O-line unit while gaining valuable experience.
In theory, Dunker should be much improved by the end of the season, when he has hundreds of snaps under his belt. Playing him now would give him time to iron out the kinks in his game before the competition ramps up late in the season.
I never thought a realistic scenario could play out where we might see Gennings Dunker in a starting role before first-round offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. However, there's no question that right guard has been the weakest spot on the Steelers' offensive line.
Pittsburgh is likely to make the switch from Spencer Anderson to backup Brock Hoffman soon. That's what we expect. But it's only a matter of time before Dunker finds himself in the starting lineup. The Pittsburgh Steelers might as well stop wasting time and get their most talented guard on the field now.
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