While many are waiting on Max Iheanachor, is he the only change the Steelers should consider along their offensive line? The rookie first-round pick is currently the backup right tackle, and he did have to play one snap on Sunday. Starting RT Dylan Cook is playing on borrowed time, and his 2026 regular-season debut didn’t overwhelmingly bolster his case.
But as the Steelers continue to fine-tune their offensive line, could they also consider another change? Obviously, inserting a rookie first-round pick is always an intriguing prospect. But the right guard job was also unsettled going into the offseason, an extension of Isaac Seumalo’s departure.
Almost by default, the Steelers plugged in Spencer Anderson, the longest-tenured member of their offensive line. Based on Pro Football Focus, he graded out as the team’s second-worst pass protector on the unit—behind Troy Fautanu. But Fautanu isn’t going anywhere, it’s reasonable to assume. Less so for Anderson.
“I think at tackle, it’s whenever Max is ready more than how the other guys perform”, Mark Kaboly said on the Steelers Collective regarding potential changes to the offensive line. “As for guard, I mean, you have another ho-hum day, I don’t see what it would hurt just flipping the roles of Anderson and [Brock] Hoffman”.
Hoffman is the one with whom Anderson ostensibly competed for the right guard job. As the preseason progressed, they seemed to be splitting more and more time. Complicating matters is that Hoffman is also the Steelers’ top backup center. Were he to start, they would have to play musical chairs. And they already have to do that at tackle if Fautanu goes down, moving Cook to left tackle.
According to Pro Football Focus, Aaron Rodgers was under pressure on 40.5 percent of his dropbacks on Sunday, which is obviously a poor reflection on the Steelers’ offensive line. He went just 6-for-15 on 17 pressures, taking two sacks, though he actually averaged more yards per attempt (5.9) under pressure than from a clean pocket (5.3). Moreover, the Steelers rushed for just 58 yards on 21 attempts, averaging 2.8 yards. They did show signs of life late, though, and it’s all just one game.
“It’s not like they tried to run the ball very much”, Kaboly said. “It’s not like they had much push on the other side of the line. So it was more than just the right side of the line. It was a significant portion of it, but it wasn’t the whole thing”.
Still, this is probably the year that the Steelers want to really finalize their offensive line following years of flirtation. They have made the investments, and they want return on them. Max Iheanachor is obviously a part of the future, but is Spencer Anderson? And if not, is there a better answer for the present? Hoffman is one option, but might rookie Gennings Dunker factor in at some point this season? A Week 1 healthy scratch, in-season development would be critical for the third-round pick.