Steelers' Spencer Anderson Noted He's Been Asked To Take Reps At RT Amidst Troy Fautanu's Injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line suffered multiple injuries during the early days of the 2024 season. It started with guard/center Nate Herbig suffering a shoulder injury in training camp, but since then, the injury list has grown. Guard Isaac Seumalo has been out with a pectoral injury, which thrust Spencer Anderson into a starting role. Anderson was a seventh-round pick in 2023 and didn't see any significant action last season. Now, new injuries could change how Anderson is utilized. 

The three main tackles, Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, and Dan Moore Jr., all suffered bumps and bruises early in the season. Now, Fautanu is being placed on the injured reserve list after dislocating his knee cap, which will require surgery to repair the ligament damage. While most have assumed that Jones would just slide into Fautanu's place, Anderson recently told the media he'd been told to get ready, according to a tweet from Chris Adamski, Steelers reporter for Trib Live. 

"Spencer Anderson said that once Troy Fautanu went down with an injury that he was told to start taking reps at right tackle -- just to be ready. He's not sure of the plan going forward after Isaac Seumalo comes back," posted Adamski.

This isn't entirely surprising given the way Jones has struggled this season. Jones was the 2023 first-round draft pick. He was brought in last season to replace a benched Chukwuma Okorafor, and most were pleasantly surprised by how well he performed. That led to most fans hoping and even assuming that Jones and Fautanu would be the starting tackles this season. However, Head Coach Mike Tomlin made the decision to leave Moore in on the left side. 

Then during the Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos, Jones once again had a disappointing performance. He drew three penalties and was benched by Tomlin in favor of Fautanu. That led to Fautanu being named the starting right tackle until the knee cap injury. Despite quarterback Justin Fields giving Jones a huge shoutout after the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers to Jones on a solid performance, there are questions about what will happen for Week 4. 

Anderson has been praised for his leap from year one to year two. He was also praised for his versatility coming out of the University of Maryland and has been able to put that to work for him in Pittsburgh. 

Steelers' Justin Fields Has Been Able To Keep His Team Fired Up

Fields wasn't expecting to be the Steelers' starting quarterback when they traded for him before the season started. While he may have hoped to have a shot, the plan appeared to be for him to develop behind Russell Wilson. However, just like Anderson, he got his shot and is making the most of it. 

The Steelers were trailing 10-7 at halftime against the Chargers, and Fields reportedly pumped his team up to go back out and get the win. The way the Black and Gold came out after the half and turned up the heat on Los Angeles was thrilling to watch. This was especially true after they seemed to collapse against the Broncos in Week 2. 

The defense dominated the Chargers, allowing a crushing negative five yards in the whole second half. This allowed the offense to continue moving the ball, despite some injuries. Fields told the reporters after the game that he was inspired by Tomlin's pep talk and his unshakable faith in the team's abilities. This pushed Fields and his teammates to believe in themselves, too. He said they all knew they hadn't played well enough in the first half and came out determined to win the game. 

The Steelers head back out of town for Week 4 to face the Indianapolis Colts. While Tomlin hasn't named a starting quarterback yet and likely won't until closer to the game, all indicators point to Fields staying under center. 

How do you think Tomlin will handle Fautanu's injury? Click to comment below. 

#SteelerNation