Many thought the Pittsburgh Steelers would wait a while before Max Iheanchor would jump up the depth chart, but that might be a bad take. He seemed out of place as a rookie before pads came on at training camp, but since then, the first-round pick has shown his true potential and is threatening veteran Dylan Cook's starting job.
After his recent injury setback at practice, all of his progress could be for little value. If he is out for a while, that could force the Steelers to keep Iheanachor off the field for now. The best shot at him winning the starting job will be sticking on the field and keeping his positive momentum going. Anything less than that will allow Pittsburgh's top decision-makers to make a clear choice.
Any shot of him winning an upgrade on the depth chart will mean beating out Cook. Right now, it appears Pittsburgh is comfortable with Cook at least starting the season as the top right tackle, but there are no guarantees. Iheanachor is starting to catch on this summer, and if he finds a way to get back on the field, the Steelers would be wise to pay close attention.
Pittsburgh Steelers might start Max Iheanchor after a strong showing at training camp
There have been plenty of rave reviews surrounding the Steelers' top 2026 NFL Draft pick. Although it appears he still has an uphill battle to win the starting job, there is a path for Iheanachor to achieve that goal.
Cook is someone the team is familiar with, but with a new coaching staff in place, it's likely they won't be as biased in having a veteran start over a rookie if the opportunity presents itself.
Even though Cook might seem like a lock to be the starter in Week 1, no one should be certain. In reality, he is a journeyman offensive tackle who played well during the final stretch of last season as a left tackle. Not only does he need to switch back to the right side, but he has a ton to prove himself. It's obvious that the plan is for Iheanachor to eventually push Cook down the depth chart.
It hasn't been a bad training camp to date for Cook, but you can already tell that the momentum for the starting job is starting to slip. Max Iheanachor is a better athlete overall and should be able to gain the top spot this season. No one knows right now if that will be before the regular season begins or at some point during the upcoming campaign.
This will be a tough battle to monitor going forward.
At the end of the day, the Steelers must start their best right tackle when the regular season hits. Thus far, Iheanachor has shown he is more than capable of taking on the starting duties at training camp. It's up to the high-profile rookie to continue his current trend and keep it pointing upwards. Pittsburgh will have no choice but to make a tough decision thanks to his performance.
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