A month ago, Calvin Anderson was released by the New England Patriots. Now, he’s signing with one of the NFL’s hottest teams.
Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed the veteran offensive tackle, bringing him in after an injury to rookie tackle Troy Fautanu.
It’s a fascinating move given the current state of the Patriots offensive line, which started rookie third-round pick Caedan Wallace at left tackle last week. New England has had issues with its O-line early this season. But given the state of the veteran tackle market, they’re not the only ones looking for help.
The 28-year-old Anderson spent the 2023 season with the Patriots, starting two games. However, his season was derailed after being diagnosed with malaria.
Anderson was expected to be in the running for one of the top tackle spots in New England in 2024. However, he was a surprising absence from the team’s 53-man roster at the end of camp. He was initially put on injured reserve before being released with an injury settlement days later.
Anderson now heads to a Steelers team that is 3-0 so far this season behind a resurgent Justin Fields at quarterback. Pittsburgh has been doing some shuffling along the offensive line due to injury. Fautanu had been the starter at right tackle out of the gate, but is now expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a dislocated knee cap.
Broderick Jones is set to start in Fautanu’s absence, with Anderson expected to serve as a backup.
