The Pittsburgh Steelers got their third win in a row on Sunday as the team took down the New Orleans Saints in Paris, France. The game was really led by the defense of the Steelers as the offense was only able to score one touchdown on the day, but the defensive unit held the Saints to just 10 points. That was pretty impressive as New Orleans has had a pretty decent offense throughout the start to the 2026 season. Pittsburgh's defense also did not allow a single rusher for the Saints to eclipse 10 yards.
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Steelers’ Mike McCarthy questions a call during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France in 2026.
The defense put forth an amazing performance, while the offense moved the ball consistently, but struggled to put the ball in the end zone. The Steelers were 1/4 in the red zone, with one of those possessions ending in kneel downs on the final drive of the game. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers played decently whenever his offensive line held up, and the run game was firing as both Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle carried the football well and were involved in the passing game.
One switch up that occurred for the Steelers was the fact that Head Coach Mike McCarthy put in a package with an extra lineman coming into the game. The sixth offensive lineman was Spencer Anderson, a role he has played in the past. Beat writer Mark Kaboly joined 93.7 The Fan on Monday morning to discuss that.
"Nobody saw that coming," Kaboly said. "I mean, maybe because they weren't around much this week, but you didn't see that coming, they didn't use it. McCarthy doesn't like to use it. I don't think he historically ever used it, the jumbo tight end. But they threw that out there, and it worked to their advantage."
The sixth offensive lineman is something that fans in Pittsburgh are used to. It was a common part of the offense over the last two years with Arthur Smith running the offense, but it hasn't really been seen at all in 2026 under McCarthy. For whatever reason, he decided to install it going into this matchup, and it seemed to work as Pittsburgh escaped Paris with a win.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Spencer Anderson warms up for the 2026 season opener with Zach Frazier and Max Iheanachor.
Anderson was drafted by the Steelers back during the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has been a decent rotational piece on the offensive line for Pittsburgh throughout his career. He has been a spot starter at times, and he began the 2026 season as the starter at right guard. He was eventually replaced by Brock Hoffman after Anderson had a rough showing against the New England Patriots in Week 2, although he did suffer a light break in his leg that he continued to play through in that game.
The fourth-year player lost his starting job, but now he is involved in the game plans again as the jumbo tight end that comes onto the field as the sixth offensive lineman. He is experienced in this role. At times it can be a tell for the defense that the offense is running the ball, but he actually caught a pass from Rodgers during the 2025 season.
Steelers' Spencer Anderson Will Be A Valuable Free Agent After The 2026 Season
Anderson has enough versatility, experience, and skill to be considered a valuable free agent for the 2027 offseason. The Steelers should definitely try to keep him around as a depth piece, but he should want to test the market and see if he can get a starting job anywhere. He will be a free agent, and he could see a pretty lucrative contract from a team. He might even be able to net the Steelers a compensatory draft pick. It might not be a third-rounder, but he could land the Steelers an additional late Day 3 selection.
What do you think about the Steelers bringing back the jumbo tight end in 2026? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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