The Pittsburgh Steelers played in their preseason finale on Thursday night, and the team was in control for most of the contest against the Buffalo Bills. Things went sideways toward the end and Pittsburgh wound up losing the game by a score of 28-27. It was still a great opportunity however, to see a lot of younger guys play. The team will now focus on the regular season which will begin in a few weeks, and that game against the Bills might be the last time fans see some of the younger players for a little while. It all depends how the first depth chart shapes up.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Max Iheanachor (71) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
One position that fans are going to be paying close attention to is right tackle. There is an open competition there, and rookie Max Iheanachor is in the mix. He came into the league as a raw prospect, so it may take some time for him to adjust to the speed of the game at the professional level. He has also been dealing with an upper body injury for the past couple of weeks, and he had to wait to make his debut until the finale against the Bills. He missed both games against the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets.
Head Coach Mike McCarthy spoke to the media following the loss, and he expressed gratitude for being able to get an extended look at a lot of the younger players on the roster. He was specifically asked about Iheanachor, who had a bit of a rocky showing in his first NFL action.
"I saw what happened on the sack," McCarthy said. "Think it was just more of his set, he was trying to be too aggressive. He was in a three-step versus a five-step set, but he was all the way on the other side of the field. I can only tell you what I heard on the headset as we're going through plays and stuff, trying to make sure we are set for our next series. I do know this, we wanted to get him about 20 plays tonight, we got to that point and we got him an extra series."
Iheanachor's rocky showing showed some great things in the run game, but he struggled a bit in pass protection. It is nothing to overreact to as this was his first time going against another team at the NFL level. He had a sack and a holding call, and McCarthy addressed the sack. The consensus is that the referees messed up on the holding call, which helps Iheanachor's case.
Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Steelers OT Max Iheanachor puts his helmet on during mandatory minicamp right after getting drafted in 2026.
It is unclear when fans will see Iheanachor next. He could win the starting job, but he seemed raw on Thursday night. The coaching staff might want to give him some more time to get acclimated to going against NFL-level athletes. He can show some improvement in practices leading up to the regular season opener, and that would probably be the only chance he has at starting.
Steelers' Max Iheanachor Will Almost Certainly Start At Some Point
The right tackle spot is not reliable for Pittsburgh. Dylan Cook is penciled in as the starter as of right now, and Broderick Jones could also be a factor in the position battle. That spot should be where all fans look when the first depth chart drops. The finalization of the 53-man roster is also going to be important as there is a chance that Jones could be cut or traded before the start of the 2026 season. The uncertainty at right tackle makes it feel like a given that Iheanachor will be starting at some point during his rookie season, and hopefully he will perform well when the time comes.
Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X (@brogannoey) and consider following for more Steelers-related content and discussion. I’m always open to hearing different perspectives, breaking down games, and talking all things Pittsburgh football.