"As his name boomed over the in-stadium public address system and a personalized graphic flashed on the video board, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Spencer Anderson stepped out of the fog-filled tunnel, swiped one hand across his chest and then sprinted past the twin pyrotechnic towers to join his teammates. Anderson, though, isn't technically a starter -- at least not as one of the typical five starting offensive linemen."
""We came back in from warmups and the coaches were like, 'We're announcing the lineup, Spence, you're first,'" Anderson said. "I'm like, 'What? [starting right guard] Isaac [Seumalo] is playing. Am I confused? They said, 'No, you're reporting.'" Sometimes an extra blocking tight end, sometimes a fullback in the backfield and occasionally another pass-catching option for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Anderson has reported as an eligible receiver to game officials by swiping his hand across his chest more than 100 times this season."
Spencer Anderson serves as the Pittsburgh Steelers' designated sixth offensive lineman and frequently reports as an eligible receiver, swiping his hand across his chest more than 100 times this season. The 2023 seventh-round pick fills roles in jumbo packages, functioning sometimes as an extra blocking tight end, sometimes as a fullback, and occasionally as an additional pass-catching option for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Coaches opened pregame introductions with Anderson in Week 11 because of his role in the jumbo package. NFL teams have used six offensive linemen on 1,521 plays through 16 weeks, the most in nearly a decade. The NFL will debut a Protector of the Year Award at the end of the 2025 season to honor offensive linemen.
#spencer-anderson #sixth-offensive-lineman #eligible-receiver-reporting #protector-of-the-year-award
Read at ESPN.com
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