**Steelers Free Agent Analysis: Calvin Anderson**
**Position: Offensive Tackle**
**Experience: 5 Years (1 with Steelers)**
**Free Agent Status: Unrestricted**
[**2024 Salary Cap Hit**](https://overthecap.com/free-agency/pittsburgh-steelers)**: $814,167**
**2024 Season Breakdown:**
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran OT Calvin Anderson in late September, another necessary move. Rookie starting RT Troy Fautanu just suffered a significant injury, though at the time they hoped it wouldn’t end his season. It did, so they were stuck one snap away from Anderson playing for most of the season.
And when Anderson did have to play, the Steelers struggled. He played one snap against the Giants, for example, and gave up a sack in the red zone. He played only 11 snaps in all, most of them in Week 5 against the Raiders.
A former college free agent out of Texas, Calvin Anderson spent his first three years in the NFL with the Denver Broncos before playing one season with the New England Patriots, landing with the Steelers on September 23 of last year. At the time, he was a few weeks out of a job, New England cutting him on August 30.
Needless to say, the Steelers didn’t set out to have Calvin Anderson as their swing tackle. And then for a while, they didn’t even have him, going on IR. They had to move Max Scharping, primarily an interior player, to tackle during that time. A reminder that even the best-lain plans can go awry. The Steelers tried to insulate themselves along the offensive line, yet wound up with Anderson and Scharping.
**Free Agency Outlook:**
Like pretty much everybody we’re covering in the back half of this series, it really doesn’t make a difference if the Steelers re-sign Calvin Anderson or not. There are many other players like him, and they will all roughly go for the veteran minimum.
But the Steelers most certainly cannot put themselves in a position in which Anderson is their swing tackle to start the season. With the anticipated loss of Dan Moore Jr. in free agency, they need a quality third option. Broderick Jones has one career start at left tackle, and Troy Fautanu is a glorified rookie. Having both an experienced and competent swing guy is a borderline necessity.
_The Steelers have_ [_a long list of free agents_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/01/first-look-at-steelers-2025-free-agents/) _this year, but not absolutely can’t-lose names. While it includes significant players like Najee Harris and Dan Moore Jr., they are not the team’s priority. The biggest question is the quarterback position, working to choose between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. There are some choice role players, but they wouldn’t fall apart if they lost the entire lot—minus a quarterback._
_The Steelers have some key needs this offseason, and they may add to those needs through termination. This is an offseason on which they should focus on cleaning out some dead weight, which has accumulated over time. Perhaps they will turn over the free agents more often than usual, going back to the outside well._