Move to left guard another chapter in unlikely career of Steelers’ Matt Feiler

Matt Feiler is living the “dream.” A move three spots to his left isn’t going to end it.

Six years after playing his final game in the PSAC, Feiler established himself as a legitimate NFL starter in 2019 as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ right tackle. His reward? A move to left guard for 2020.

Feiler politely has described a preference for guard. And mere months away from unrestricted free agency, he also is likely aware tackles typically are compensated better than guards.

Maybe it’s the Lancaster County upbringing, or perhaps it’s the humbling that only can come from Division II college-playing roots at Bloomsburg. But Feiler isn’t one to complain.

“He played a high level at tackle last year, and he didn’t bat an eye when we asked him to move inside,” Steelers offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett said Friday. “He’s ready to go, and we appreciate that.”

Talking about Matt Feiler, #Steelers RG David DeCastro says, “He’s come in and filled in very well for us last year, and this year, it’s just kind of picked up where he left off. There’s been no drop-off at all."https://t.co/onYqQ7Wayo

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) October 11, 2019

Feiler appreciates his opportunity to play professionally, and his soft-spoken personality doesn’t lend itself to raising a stink. A year after beating out Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner — rather easily, by all indications — in a purported four-way open camp competition for the starting right tackle job, this year Okorafor and Banner are competing to replace Feiler.

Feiler, meanwhile is replacing retired longtime Steelers left guard Ramon Foster. The Steelers promptly drafted Kevin Dotson and signed Stefan Wisniewski as potential heir apparents at guard, but they ultimately elected to shift Feiler back inside.

“A lot of it had to do with the timing of it,” Sarrett said. “We were in the pandemic in the spring. We lost our whole spring (schedule of workouts). When it comes to that time, the evaluation period kind of gets cut in half.

“I had seen Anchor go in there and play guard in a game last year. I’ve seen Chuks play tackle. I’ve seen Banner play tackle.”

Sarrett also has seen Feiler play tackle – starting 25 games there the past two seasons. But Sarrett has seen plenty of Feiler at guard, too: He has two NFL starts at guard (one on each side) in addition to two other regular-season games of relief work there.

Matt Feiler said he did not and does not have to change his body type depending on whether he is playing guard or tackle. pic.twitter.com/HdYPDwl5tf

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 21, 2020

Despite Feiler’s college background at tackle and spending 2014 at tackle on the Houston Texans’ practice squad, Feiler was moved to guard by the Steelers when they signed him to their practice squad in September 2015.

“When we first saw him, we thought for sure that he was a big, strong guy,” Sarrett said of the 6-foot-6, 330-pound Feiler — a body type that earned him the “Anchor” nickname. “We thought maybe inside to start him.”

But after two seasons on the Steelers’ practice squad and 2017 spent on their active roster (Feiler appeared in three games, starting the finale), opportunity arose at tackle because of injuries to longtime right tackle Marcus Gilbert.

Feiler took over at right tackle early during the 2018 season and hasn’t relinquished it except for a one-game reprieve last November. The Steelers were hosting the Los Angeles Rams, Foster was out because of a concussion and Sarrett was tasked with finding an antidote for two-time NFL defensive player of the year Aaron Donald.

Moving a starter to a different position sometimes can be taken as an insult. In this instance, it was a compliment to Feiler that the Steelers viewed him as their best bet to neutralize Donald.

“I commend Anchor for what he did against Aaron,” Sarrett said.

“There were situations where he had a bunch of one-on-ones against the guy, and he performed well.”

Holding his own against a five-time All Pro? Not that long ago, Feiler was just a Division II kid who hadn’t left central Pennsylvania who hadn’t even considered an NFL career until his position coach at Bloomsburg approached him during Feiler’s junior year.

“’Hey, these scouts are starting to ask about you,’” Feiler said. “Or, ‘There’s people watching you, so keep doing what you’re doing.’

“When I first heard him say it, it was kind of hard for me to believe it because it’s a smaller school, and you don’t really think that many guys make it big. Senior year came around, and I started seeing more scouts coming around. Even through the draft process, I was still kind of, ‘I don’t know if that’s going to be me one day.’ It was definitely a dream of mine. I’m glad it’s turned out the way I wanted it to.”

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