The Case for Spencer Anderson Starting at Guard in 2026 for the Steelers

When Isaac Seumalo left for Arizona in free agency, Pittsburgh had a decision to make

at left guard, and reporting suggests the front office already made it. Rather than chase

a veteran replacement, the Steelers have signaled they are comfortable handing the job

to Spencer Anderson, a 2023 seventh-round pick who has spent three seasons quietly

proving he belongs on an NFL line. That is not a settling decision born out of necessity.

It is the product of three years of steady, winning performance whenever Anderson has

been asked to start, and the case for him heading into 2026 is built on substance the

team has already seen up close.

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The Organization Has Already Made Its Decision

The clearest evidence in Anderson’s favor is not a stat line. It is the front office’s own

behavior this offseason. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac initially expected

the Steelers to pursue a veteran guard in free agency to replace Seumalo, but later

reversed that expectation, reporting the team is now content with Anderson stepping

into the role outright. That is a meaningful shift. Front offices do not quietly abandon a

search for outside help unless they have genuine confidence in the internal option

already in the building. A recent Clutch Points positional breakdown of the 2026 roster

echoed that same read, projecting that Anderson should have an excellent chance to

start at left guard heading into training camp, pairing him alongside a Mason McCormick

coming off a strong year at right guard. There is also a financial logic the front office cannot ignore. Anderson is on the final year of his rookie contract, making him a cost-efficient option at a position where Pittsburgh just let a respected veteran walk rather than pay market rate. If Anderson proves capable of holding the job, the Steelers get a long-term starter at guard without committing additional draft capital or cap space to the position, freeing up resources for other roster needs.

A Winning Track Record in Real Starts

Anderson is not being projected into this role blind. He has already started games for

Pittsburgh, and the results were good. In 2024, with Seumalo sidelined by a pectoral

injury, head coach Mike Tomlin handed Anderson his first career start in the season

opener against Atlanta, a game the Steelers won. He started again the following two

weeks at Denver and against the Chargers, both also Pittsburgh wins. He added a

fourth start later in the season at tackle in a win over Baltimore. That is four career

starts and four wins, across two different positions on the offensive line, a small sample

but an unblemished one. Tomlin took notice of more than just the record, too, publicly

comparing Anderson’s approach and potential for a long career to former Steelers

lineman Kelvin Beachum, a name associated with steady, reliable offensive line play.

His role only grew from there. Anderson played 894 combined offensive snaps across

the 2024 and 2025 seasons, expanding into a true swing role that included both guard

spots and tackle-eligible duty as an extra blocker. Tomlin gave Anderson and fellow

young guard Mason McCormick a public double thumbs up for their performances in

relief roles, the kind of direct coaching endorsement that does not happen for players

the staff views as replacement-level depth.

Versatility That Strengthens the Whole Line

Anderson’s positional flexibility, built over 31 consecutive starts across guard, tackle,

and even center at Maryland, gives Pittsburgh more than a one-dimensional starter. He

described his own role candidly last season as a Swiss Army knife along the interior,

someone capable of filling gaps, mentoring younger teammates, and stepping in

seamlessly on game day regardless of which spot needs him. That kind of background

matters in a new system under a first-year coaching staff, where unexpected injuries

and lineup shuffles are common in year one. A starter who has already proven he can

play winning football snaps at multiple spots provides Mike McCarthy’s staff with

insurance that a more rigid, single-position lineman cannot offer.

Addressing the Performance Numbers

A fair case has to confront the data directly. Anderson’s 2025 Pro Football Focus grade

settled at 56.8 overall, 54th among 81 qualified guards, a middle-of-the-pack mark that

does not scream star in waiting. His pass-blocking grade of 60.9 and run-blocking grade

of 59.6 were both modest, though notably he did not allow a single sack across his

snaps and was flagged for only two penalties all year, evidence of discipline even in a

year his overall grade did not pop. That grade, however, came almost entirely in a rotational, multi-position role rather than as a settled, full-time starter with consistent reps alongside the same four linemen. Guards historically improve with positional stability, and Anderson has never had a full offseason and training camp dedicated to one job the way he will in 2026. The Steelers are not betting on a finished product. They are betting that a player who has already won every game he has started, drawn direct praise from his head coach, and shown the versatility to play multiple spots will take a real step forward once given the position full-time.

The Verdict

Spencer Anderson has done exactly what a developmental seventh-round pick is

supposed to do: improve his role every year, win every time he has been asked to start,

and earn the direct confidence of his coaching staff along the way. The front office’s

own decision to stand down from chasing a veteran guard in free agency is the

strongest signal available that Pittsburgh believes in him. With a full offseason as the

unquestioned starter ahead of him, Anderson has every opportunity to turn a modest

statistical grade into the kind of season that justifies the trust already placed in him.