Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy may be weighing whether or not to make changes along the offensive line in Week 3. After a new development that surfaced Wednesday night, McCarthy might have to.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly reported starting right guard Spencer Anderson broke a bone in his right leg 11 offensive plays into the New England Patriots matchup on September 20. Anderson never left the game but his status is not certain going forward.
“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,” wrote Kaboly.
“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.”
Interestingly, Anderson practiced fully Wednesday and is not on the injury report. The Steelers, though, did have backup interior lineman Brock Hoffman take snaps at practice next to starting center Zach Frazier.
Right Guard Spencer Anderson Has Broke Bone in Right Leg
Anderson is the forgotten part of the Steelers offensive line shuffle this season. While Pittsburgh flipped its right tackle and guard to the left side and then moved its reclamation project left tackle to right tackle, the Steelers also changed Anderson’s position.
Last season, the veteran was the team’s swing tackle. This year, he’s starting at right guard.
Obviously, it’s not good news Anderson suffered an injury in Week 2. It is reassuring, though, that the broken bone probably explains why Anderson played so poorly at his new position against the Patriots.
Going forward, the question is pain tolerance for the guard but also performance. Can he play through the injury at a high level?
If Week 2 is Exhibit A, then the answer is no. Kaboly, though, reported that Anderson’s injury “did not appear” to impact his leg in Wednesday’s drills.
Clearly, this is something to monitor for the rest of the practice week. The Steelers need a much better offensive showing this Sunday to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals. They won’t be able to get that unless the blocking is much better.
Will Steelers Make Offensive Line Changes?
McCarthy has emphasized this week the offensive linemen need more repetitions in their new positions. The unit also probably needs to stay together to build chemistry.
That supports the idea of not making any offensive line changes. Anderson’s injury, though, complicates matters.
If he is less than 100%, then McCarthy could turn to Hoffman, who has more experience at guard. A change at right tackle is on the table too. First-round rookie Max Iheanachor is waiting in the wings.
“The Steelers were at least flirting with making changes to both right guard and right tackle during the open portion of practice,” wrote Kaboly.
Anderson and Dylan Cook took reps on the right and left sides of the line, while Hoffman and Max Iheanachor worked exclusively on the right side in tandem with starting center Frazier. That was different from the end of the preseason and during the viewing periods before Wednesday, which makes it a notable development.”
Iheanachor suffered an injury during training camp, which stunted his development in August. But he’s been healthy for more than a month. Fans are itching to see the No. 21 overall pick on the field, particularly after the line’s terrible Week 2 performance.
The Steelers have selected linemen during the first round in three of the past four NFL Drafts. The team, though, is still waiting to see the fruits of that labor.
More changes after an offseason of immense shuffling might not be the answer. But starting a lineman with a significant leg injury and continuing to sit a first-round rookie might not be smart either.
Steelers Dealing With New Major Offensive Line Injury: Report