The Pittsburgh Steelers are suddenly dealing with another problem on the interior of their offensive line, and this one involves rookie Gennings Dunker.
Dunker was listed as a limited participant on the team’s penultimate injury report ahead of Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals because of a knee injury. It’s the first time he has shown up on the report this season, and the timing isn’t ideal with Spencer Anderson already working through a bone break in his leg that he suffered in Week 2 against the New England Patriots.
A third-round pick from Iowa, Dunker has been working his way from tackle to guard since arriving in the NFL. He never really pushed into the right guard battle during the summer, as Anderson and Brock Hoffman handled the competition for the starting job before Anderson eventually won it.
The move inside was driven in part by Dunker’s lack of athleticism and some problems with his pass protection technique. At Iowa, he was much more of a run-game presence, and that profile fits guard better than tackle.
There were growing pains in camp, but Dunker showed some progress in the two preseason games he played. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just two pressures over 91 total reps at right guard.
So far in the regular season, though, he has been inactive for both of Pittsburgh’s games. That was the expectation entering the year, since he was viewed as a third-string guard.
Still, the Steelers’ offensive line has been rough enough that Dunker could get a chance later on if he gets healthy and the situation keeps sliding.
Anderson was a full participant in practice this week, although the injury clearly isn’t something he’s fully over. Hoffman was already in line to get a longer look at right guard because of Anderson’s struggles, and Anderson’s status only makes that possibility more real.
For now, Dunker’s injury leaves Hoffman as the only fully healthy guard on the 53-man roster. That’s not a comfortable place for Pittsburgh to be, though Ryan McCollum could step in at the position in a pinch if needed. The severity of Dunker’s knee injury is unknown.
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