The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a ton of disappointing spots on the roster despite the team being 1-1 through two weeks of the 2026 season. Things are not playing out exactly the way some fans expected they might with a new, offensive-minded head coach running the team. Mike McCarthy has not gotten great results out of his offense as the unit has managed to score just 16 points on the year, which isn't going to cut it as the season continues on. He is facing a ton of pressure to get this offense on the right track, but there are at least clear areas to clean up.
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Pittsburgh Steelers offensive linemen Spencer Anderson, Dylan Cook, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick and Troy Fautanu gather on the field at Acrisure Stadium in 2026.
One sign for concern for the Steelers has been the offensive line. It has not developed in the way the organization has hoped, and the coaching staff should already be considering making significant changes to the lineup. The right side is where the changes might come, as Dylan Cook is currently the starter at right tackle and Spencer Anderson is currently the right guard. Anderson had a rough showing against the New England Patriots in Week 2, but there might be some good reason for that.
Beat writer Mark Kaboly reported in a story on Thursday morning that the guard actually suffered an injury during the game that probably hindered his skills as a blocker.
"Steelers right guard Spencer Anderson had one of, if not the worst, games of his career against the New England Patriots on Sunday," Kaboly wrote. "And now we know what might have contributed to that — a broken bone in his right leg that he suffered 11 plays into the Steelers’ 20-3 loss. It can be classified as a bone chip, according to a source, which brings severe pain that can be eased somewhat by rest, but it’s usually only fully fixed through surgery."
Anderson suffered a bone chip in his right leg early on in the loss to New England, and that can technically be characterized as a broken bone. Kaboly mentioned that the injury happened when a defender blitzed on a run play, and a wide receiver blocked the defender into Anderson's legs. This type of thing happens all the time, but it's a shame when a player actually gets hurt from being rolled up on.
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Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Spencer Anderson (74) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
This is the type of injury that can be played through, but it obviously hurt his play against the Patriots. He has not missed any practice time yet, and it seems like the only way he would be kept out of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday is if he was replaced in the starting lineup. Kaboly gave more details about the injury.
"Basically, it’s a pain-tolerance injury at this point, and Anderson powered through it on Sunday, albeit it had some sort of negative effect on his performance," Kaboly wrote. "Anderson practiced fully on Wednesday and was not listed at all on the injury report. He did not appear to be affected by the banged-up leg during drills at practice."
Anderson was drafted by the Steelers in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has been used as a rotational offensive lineman and a swing tackle ever since. This was his first time to start, so he isn't going to sit due to an injury that could be played through.
Steelers Could Be Planning A Change On The Offensive Line
Brock Hoffman would be the player that is inserted into the starting lineup at right guard if Anderson cannot play due to the injury, or if the coaching staff decides to make a change. On Wednesday during practice, it seemed like both Hoffman and rookie right tackle Max Iheanachor were getting some work in with Zach Frazier, which could signify a change in the starting lineup.
What do you think about Anderson's injury? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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