Max Iheanachor Might Be Steelers' Answer At O-Line

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers waited months, literally, for first-round draft pick Max Iheanachor to make his debut. Finally, against the Buffalo Bills, the rookie tackle received a significant number of snaps.

It wasn’t a perfect showing for the young Steelers lineman. He was beaten clean on one pass rush that left quarterback Will Howard vulnerable and allowed him to take a huge hit.

But for his first time ever playing live reps in an NFL game, the Steelers should be walking on sunshine when it comes to Iheanachor. He showed that with a bit of time and development, he is going to be the team’s long-term answer at right tackle.

Athleticism On Display

When the Steelers drafted Iheanachor, one of his biggest strengths was his athleticism. A former soccer and basketball player, he possesses incredibly fluid hips and quick feet that are closer to a wider receiver than an offensive lineman.

That was evident during Eli Heidenreich’s rushing touchdown in the third quarter. As Heidenreich took the pitch to the right, Iheanachor sprung forward off the line of scrimmage and attacked the next level. He placed a strong block into the Bills defender, and Heidenreich followed right behind for the score.

During the play, Iheanachor displayed a high-motor, starter-level speed to get to the second layer of the defense and highlighted his imposing strength. That only creates more opportunities and schematics for the Steelers to utilize with Iheanachor at right tackle.

Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Max Iheanachor (71) participates in drills during Minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

How Bad Were His Worst Moments?

There were two plays that caught a ton of attention, and not for the best reasons. One was a holding penalty he was called for, and another was a pass-rush rep where he was cleanly beat and allowed a sack.

The sack allowed was a bad play from Iheanachor, there’s no way around it or to interpret that play differently. He overcommitted to the wrong direction and became a pylon for the edge rusher to get around.

The penalty, however, was not as bad as it seemed initially. He did pull down a bit on the defender he was blocking, but it wasn’t enough to warrant the flag on the play. If anything, he should have been called for illegal hands to the face penalties on a few occasions, but he was hardly guilty of the holding call the officials levied against him.

Either way, the bad wasn’t that terrible. He showed that he’s still a bit raw. He can be overmatched by a more cunning pass rusher, but that won’t be the case forever. With more development and with more reps on the field, the Steelers will be beyond pleased with where he lands.

Latest Roster Move Highlights Team’s Belief in IMAX

The team’s latest roster move is only further evidence that the Steelers have a mountain-sized belief in Iheanachor. Why else would the organization send former first-round pick Broderick Jones to the Dallas Cowboys?

It’s because they invest another, more recent, first round draft choice on Iheanachor, and the early returns indicate they struck gold. The team has questions at offensive line, and there’s no doubting the learning curve ahead of Iheanachor. Still, this team is operating with a level of certainty that they have their answer at right tackle.

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