The Pittsburgh Steelers, as is usual for them, entered this year's training camp with many of their starting jobs already set in stone. General manager Omar Khan did his best to patch up some of the weak points that plagued the team in 2025, with big additions at corner (Jamel Dean), wide receiver (Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard), and safety (Jaquan Brisker).
Even so, there are still open competitions at a few spots, most notably at right guard and right tackle. Broderick Jones' unexpected return for the start of camp has only further muddied the waters at RT, but the right guard battle seems to have a very clear frontrunner.
According to Nick Farabaugh of PennLive, Spencer Anderson appeared to be getting all of the first-team reps through the first week of practice. "One note to make so far — I’m not sure anyone else other than Spencer Anderson has taken a first team RG rep in training camp," Farabaugh said on his X account.
If that really is the case, Anderson certainly has come a long way from being a seventh-round pick back in 2023.
Spencer Anderson looking to go from sixth-man to key starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers
While 2026 would be Anderson's first real chance at earning a starting job, he has been a prominent part of the Steelers' offense over the past two seasons. After playing almost exclusively on special teams in his rookie season, he held his own in a few spot starts in 2024 before adding a role as the Steelers' sixth offensive lineman in jumbo packages last season.
Anderson has been a solid player as a backup and occasional starter, but the expectations will be much different for him if he does indeed win the RG job. His positional flexibility coming out of college is what ultimately made him a draftable prospect, but how will he fare as a full-time player at just one spot?
While the sample size is small, I think that him being the clear favorite in this battle to start camp shows that the new coaching staff sees something in him. If he wasn't making a strong impression, veteran guard/center Brock Hoffman (who played under new head coach Mike McCarthy in Dallas) would likely be the one taking first-team reps, with Anderson and rookie Gennings Dunker fighting to make up ground.
I am sure that many fans would rather give Dunker the opportunity to play right away, and I don't really disagree with that notion. But with Aaron Rodger back as the starting QB and the aforementioned McCarthy running the show, Pittsburgh is focused more on the here and now, not on what things may look like in 3+ years. Don't be surprised if Anderson hangs onto this job all the way through 2026.
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