This Steelers Position Battle Has Quietly Been Decided

PITTSBURGH — As the Pittsburgh Steelers begin training camp, there are plenty of positions with no incoming storyline. The wide receiver group, for example, is largely decided as they travel to Latrobe, Pennsylvania for their annual kick-off to the season. The same can be said for outside linebacker and cornerback, where the depth chart is seemingly cemented in despite the long wait until Week 1 of the regular season.

Other positions are under the microscope the minute the Steelers begin their first training camp practice session. Speculation has run rampant trying to figure out who the backup quarterback or the backup safety will be.

One of those competitions is the battle for the right tackle position. First-round rookie Max Iheanachor and journeyman Dylan Cook are set to battle it out for the starting role, but the reality is much simpler than that. This battle has already been quietly decided, with Cook penciled in as the starter on the right side for 2026.

Why Steelers Will Start Cook

Let’s start with Cook’s perserverance. After being an undrafted free agent, Cook has quietly risen the ranks. He went from practice squad player, to backup, to temporary starter to finish the 2025 campaign.

That type of consistent improvement is set to take the next step in 2026, as he shifts over from the left tackle position he started five games at least year, over to the right tackle position.

And the Steelers should feel very confident about Cook’s prospects for the coming season. In his limited time as the starting left tackle, Cook excelled. According to game data from Pro Football Focus, he allowed just one quarterback sack and two quarterback hurries over 187 pass-blocking snaps. If he can bring that consistency to the right tackle spot, the Steelers will have a much better offensive line in 2026.

Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dylan Cook (60) defends in the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why This Is a Good Thing for Iheanachor

Everyone expects a team’s first-round choice to come in and be an immediate impact player. In a perfect world, Iheanachor is ready to be an anchor on the offensive line immediately.

The reality is that he’s an incredibly raw player with a ton of talent and upside. He needs technical training and practice before the team can hand him the starting job and trust him with it.

That’s not a bad thing, however. The Steelers have options with Dylan Cook ready to start. They don’t need to thrust Iheanachor into a role he’s not quite ready for. Instead, he can learn and accumulate reps without the pressure of being a starter. That should only help Iheanachor as he eventually takes over the starting job from Cook.

When training camp starts, Cook and Iheanachor will be a huge focus. The two will be going head-to-head, and through the camaraderie, there is an underlying competition and drive to improve. Just don’t fool yourself into thinking this is a real battle for the starting job, because that was decided months ago.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI, and find our podcast All Steelers Talk on YouTube or anywhere you listen!

Add us as a preferred source on Google