Steelers Have 1 Training Camp Competition That Might Already Be Completely Over

The Pittsburgh Steelers have wrapped up their first week of training camp. Most of the questions heading into camp still require a lot more time to be answered, but there has been a couple that have already been figured out, like the constant rotation and unpredictability of where the edge rushers line up on any given play. Once Week 2 of training camp begins, the pads will go on, and every mistake or great play will be broken down even harder. Things are about to get very real, very quick. 

There are plenty of starting jobs open for grabs, as positional battles will continue to take place on both sides of the ball. One starting spot seems to already be locked down, however. While attending training camp, Steeler Nation's own Brandon "B-Wall" Wallace reported back that utility offensive lineman Spencer Anderson played the majority of starting snaps at right guard on Saturday. He has played mostly there through four days of camp, with Brock Hoffman getting some time with the first unit as well.

Early in the offseason, it was expected that every offensive line position except center would be up for grabs. Now, however, it looks like every spot on the first-team offense is secured outside of right tackle. This could be a big step for Anderson as it looks like the job is leaning in his favor. The former seventh-round pick has been fighting his whole career to get snaps anywhere on the line, and now he has seemingly earned the new coaching staff's trust.

Over the last couple of years, Anderson was seen as a utility lineman and primary backup for most positions, especially guard. He has played very well in every spot that he has worked in, showing a level of versatility that every team would want to have on their roster. The Steelers seem to never be disappointed when the big man has to enter the game for any reason, whether it was due to injury, or simply schematics. 

In 2025, Anderson really broke out and became a massive part of the Steelers' offense. When everyone was healthy, he was put out during Pittsburgh's ultra-jumbo set. With him flanking Darnell Washington and the offensive tackle, the opposing defense couldn't figure out how to penetrate the line. The team would telegraph its plan sometimes, and the defense still couldn't get passed Anderson and the jumbo set.

That's one of the reasons why Anderson was expected to not be a lock for the starting right guard spot, despite his great play at either position when filling in for injury. It didn't help that the Steelers signed Hoffman before using a third-round pick to select Gennings Dunker. Clearly, that does not matter, as Anderson has performed well enough for the coaching staff to not see a reason to sub him out -- at least that much during this early part of training camp.

Dunker is expected to be a project player, so he is not likely to see a lot of time in his rookie season barring injury at either guard spot. That may not be enough, though, as he and Hoffman appear to be fighting for the primary backup spot at each guard position. The most likely outcome is that the veteran provides depth at left guard and center while the rookie backs up Anderson.

Steelers Need To Appreciate Anderson While They Can

From bubble player to likely starter, Anderson has had no problems shooting up the ranks. The problem for the Steelers is that he will be a free agent. With all the money that they are expected to invest in other linemen, as well as the two rookies they drafted in 2026, it doesn't seem like they will be able to afford to keep the standout utility player around past 2026.

As mentioned before, Anderson is a talent that everyone would want on their team. That means he will likely command a large payday when free agency rolls around. Any team that has some sort of hole on the line will likely be offering a large sum of cash to him to play whatever is needed. At the very least, the Steelers should be able to get a nice compensatory pick out of him.

What do you think about Anderson seemingly being set in stone as the starting right guard? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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