The Pittsburgh Steelers finally got Max Iheanachor back onto the practice field, but “back” deserves an asterisk. Pittsburgh’s first-round rookie remains extremely limited after his recent injury, leaving him caught in the least convenient place possible for a young offensive tackle: healthy enough to start testing himself again, but not healthy enough to keep pushing for the starting job at full speed.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers offensive lineman Max Iheanachor (71) walks on the field with his teammates during a 2026 rookie minicamp workout in Pittsburgh, PA.
Iheanachor returned in full gear and participated in a small amount of individual work, an encouraging step after leaving practice early last week. What he has not done is return to team periods, where the right tackle competition can actually move. For a player trying to chase down an incumbent, watching those reps from the side is roughly the training-camp equivalent of watching somebody else use your turn at the batting cage.
The timing stings because Iheanachor had started making progress once the pads came on. Mike McCarthy recently said the rookie crossed an important developmental threshold after competing against NFL veterans, even sending the coach back to his Senior Bowl film because of how different Iheanachor looked when the practices became physical.
Now comes the interruption.
Jeff Hathhorn detailed just how little Iheanachor was able to do during a recent camp discussion, describing a return that was encouraging medically without being especially useful for the depth-chart race.
“I might even use an adjective, say extremely limited,” Hathhorn said. “He was out there full gear, had the helmet, did take a couple of reps, not team reps, but individual reps… At least he’s testing it. And that’s kind of what we saw yesterday.”
Pittsburgh has every reason to be cautious. Iheanachor was the 21st overall pick in April and is under contract for four seasons with a fifth-year option available to the organization. The Steelers drafted a long-term right tackle, not somebody they need to squeeze through an August practice because the depth chart looks prettier that way.
The short-term issue is Dylan Cook. Cook entered camp as the more experienced option on the right side after playing well when injuries forced him into the lineup late last season. Pittsburgh’s own offensive-line preview framed Cook as one of the veterans with a legitimate chance to hold off Iheanachor while the rookie adjusted to NFL speed.
That makes the injury a football setback even if it never becomes a serious medical concern. Cook keeps receiving work. Iheanachor does not. August is not known for issuing refunds on missed practice reps.
The rookie already began this race from behind because experience was his biggest question entering the league. Iheanachor did not start playing football until junior college and appeared in only 32 games at Arizona State, starting 31. His athleticism, 6-foot-6 frame and rapid improvement pushed him into the first round, but even positive pre-draft evaluations noted that he could require patience before becoming a finished NFL starter.
Pittsburgh understood that when it drafted him. The club’s right tackle picture gave Iheanachor the luxury of developing behind Cook instead of being thrown into the lineup on reputation alone.
That luxury works differently once the rookie starts threatening to win the job.
Iheanachor had begun showing why Pittsburgh became interested in accelerating his timeline. Padded practices allowed his size and movement to translate into actual contact, something spring practices could never fully reveal. Every team rep against TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith or another NFL defender offered the kind of lesson he cannot recreate while working individually.
Thursday’s preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers creates the next decision. Pittsburgh is scheduled to begin its exhibition slate at 7 PM, but Hathhorn does not see much benefit in forcing Iheanachor into that game unless his participation increases quickly. The Steelers still have two later preseason opportunities to evaluate him under live conditions.
“If he’s limited again, why are you going to throw him out there on Thursday?” Hathhorn said. “Give him some time. Two games would be enough to see a little bit more from him. I do think it is a setback from a starting standpoint.”
That is probably the distinction Pittsburgh has to make. Missing the opener would not be a developmental disaster. Playing Iheanachor before he is ready could create one.
The starting competition is a separate issue.
Cook does not need Iheanachor to struggle. He simply needs to continue providing competent, dependable football while the rookie loses opportunities to close the gap. A veteran can win a camp competition by playing well. He can also win because the challenger runs out of runway.
Steelers Need Iheanachor Healthy Before They Need Him Starting
The temptation with a first-round pick is to treat every delay like something that must be recovered immediately. Pittsburgh does not need to operate that way.
If Iheanachor remains limited Tuesday, there is little reason to make Thursday night the deadline. Give him the extra recovery time, get him back into full team periods and use the remaining preseason games to evaluate whether the progress McCarthy saw in pads returns with him.
The rookie can still change the depth chart. One week in August does not erase the traits that made Pittsburgh select him 21st overall, nor does it eliminate the possibility of Iheanachor overtaking Cook later in camp or during the season.
It does change the math.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers offensive lineman Dylan Cook during a 2025 training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Every practice Iheanachor misses is another practice Cook gets to make the starting job feel normal. Every team period the rookie watches is one fewer chance to show James Campen that upside has caught up with experience.
Pittsburgh’s priority should be getting Iheanachor completely healthy rather than winning an August race against the calendar. The irony is that patience may cost him the Week 1 job he was beginning to chase.
The Steelers can live with that.
Their first-round pick has four years to become the answer at right tackle. His problem right now is that the depth chart only has a few weeks to choose one.
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