Steelers All 90: Spencer Anderson is the Definition of Versatility

Spencer Anderson had a wild draft night that led to him becoming a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He initially thought that he was going to be a Kansas City Chief but after hanging up on Andy Reid, Anderson landed in Pittsburgh.

“I was on the phone with Kansas City. Kansas City had the pick right before the Steelers and Kansas City had told me they were going to with me or a DB, if the DB went off the board, they were going to go with me,” Anderson said. “I was on the phone with Andy Reid, I was talking to him. … He was just like ‘sit tight.’”

Two defensive backs went off of the board before the Chiefs picked which led to Anderson thinking he was going to be a Chief. Then, Omar Khan came calling, and when he passed the phone to Mike Tomlin, the Steelers head coach boasted about Anderson’s versatility and said that he was going to be their pick. So what did Anderson do, well he hung up on Reid.

“Three teams before the Chiefs picked, I got a call from a 412 number — Omar. He put me on the phone with Coach Tomlin. He was like, ‘Hey, man, versatility is your calling card. … We’re going to go ahead and submit you with our next pick.”

All Anderson had to do was wait because Kansas City still needed to make their pick and in his mind, the Chiefs still wanted him. With the Chiefs picking one slot ahead of the Steelers, it turned into a waiting game for both parties. Then, the Chiefs selected a different player which allowed Anderson to fall to the Steelers.

“I obviously hung up on Andy Reid and then, all of the sudden, I believe his name was Nic Jones, he went right before me, and I was like, I guess they took him because I hung up,” Anderson said.

Regardless of his crazy draft day story, Anderson is a seventh-round pick which guarantees him nothing in the NFL. He will have to prove his worth in training camp and the preseason to have a shot to crack the final 53-man roster. The player that he will be in direct competition with for a roster spot is Kendrick Green.

While Anderson mainly played tackle in college, he has valuable experience at all five positions along the offensive line which was the main reason the Steelers wanted him. In the NFL, the Steelers want Anderson to be a guard-and-center combo which is exactly the role that Green is in.

Green started at center for the Steelers in his rookie year but was moved to guard last season and failed to appear in a single game. The benefit that Anderson has is that he is entering the team with a clean slate, unlike the situation Green finds himself in. Essentially, the Steelers know what type of player Green is and what his potential looks like but as for Anderson, they still need to work with him to find those answers.

If Anderson does lose the battle with Green in camp then the Maryland product is likely headed for the team’s practice squad for the 2023 season.

74 • Spencer Anderson, Guard/Center, Maryland
6-foot-4, 305 pounds, 23 years old, 1st Season

Acquired: The Steelers drafted Anderson out of the University of Maryland with the 251st overall pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Last Year: As a redshirt senior, Anderson ended his career by starting all 13 games for the Terps for the second consecutive season. He logged 12 starts at right guard and one at right tackle in 2022. Maryland owned the third-best passing offense in the Big Ten in Anderson’s final season.

Anderson allowed just two sacks on 847 offensive snaps in his final season as a Terp.

Offensive line Spencer Anderson (54) Maryland Terrapins vs. #4 Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sep. 24, 2022. Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Terrapins

College: Coming out of high school as a consensus three-star prospect, Anderson committed to Maryland over other schools such as Pitt, Wake Forest, and North Carolina. Anderson appeared in two games at right guard as a true freshman but retained his redshirt eligibility since he did not play more than four games.

In 2019, Anderson appeared in 11 of 12 games for the Terps but played more of a depth role. He played most of his snaps at right tackle as a redshirt freshman and even logged his first career start at the position. His lone start came against Rutgers where he helped pave the way for 48 points and 490 yards of total offense.

During the COVID shortened 2020 season, Anderson was one of six Terps to start all five games. He recorded four starts at left tackle and one at center.

Spencer Anderson (54). Maryland Terrapins vs. the Purdue Boilermakers at SECU Stadium in College Park, MD on October 8, 2022.
Taylor McLaughlin/Maryland Athletics

As a redshirt junior, Anderson started all 13 games which included nine at right tackle and four at center. He helped block for a Maryland offense that set the record for the most passing yards in a single season (3,960) in school history. Anderson’s quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa broke multiple school records in 2021 behind Anderson and the rest of the offensive line. Following the season, Anderson was named an honorable mention All-Big Ten nominee.

Over his five seasons at Maryland, Anderson appeared in 44 games and logged 32 starts for the Terps. Anderson played all five positions along the offensive line for the Terps in his career.

Salary cap and future: Anderson is entering the first season of his standard four-year rookie contract with the Steelers. He will cost $769,446 against the team’s cap space if he makes the final roster. Anderson’s rookie contract will keep him in Pittsburgh through the end of the 2026 season.

The rest of the 90: