Steelers First-Round Pick is Headed Toward Starting Job

PITTSBURGH — As the temperature rises at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, so too does the intensity of competition. Even during a period of lighter activity on the field, it’s clear that things continue to ratchet up with each passing day.

One of the biggest competitions at Steelers training camp is along the offensive line. Through the first week of practices, head coach Mike McCarthy has mixed and matched his offensive linemen like a poker dealer shuffling his deck.

Through the dizziness of training camp, one player has consistently impressed, and that is rookie offensive tackle Max Iheanachor. The recent first-round pick entered the organization as a long-term project that was worth the wait, but one week into camp, he’s poised to challenge for a starting job when the regular season opens.

Iheanachor Making His Mark on Steelers Training Camp

The thing that stands out about Iheanachor is how massive he is. The athletic and explosive descriptions are accurate, but what’s often undersold is how burly a man the rookie tackle is. Standing among the rest of the first-team linemen, he fits right in.

And that strength was evident each day of the first week of training camp. Going up against T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, he held his own. Sure, with no one wearing pads and no live tackling allowed, you can’t draw any official conclusions about Iheanachor’s NFL readiness. What you can do, however, is see how well the young player is adjusting to the next level.

May 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones (77) participates in OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

McCarthy Pushing Iheanachor

In response, coach McCarthy is pushing his newest lineman. During day three of training camp, the Steelers ran an elevated walk-through. They separated the team into the first and second groups, with each team operating on a different practice field. Iheanachor spent time on both fields, but spent the majority of the session on the first-team side.

Does that mean McCarthy is ready to hand the right tackle spot over to Iheanachor? Not just yet, but the opportunity is coming around.

The key is to keep stacking. When you are a young and inexperienced player, you cannot expect to establish consistency quickly. It takes time and repetition, something McCarthy is providing plenty of during training camp.

Iheanachor has to keep grinding. Entering week two of camp, he and Dylan Cook are neck-and-neck. Cook has been the first right tackle out in team periods, but Iheanachor is trending toward overtaking him. It’s sooner than many anticipated, but Max Iheanachor is on a collision course barreling towards a starting job in Pittsburgh.

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