Steelers Get Honest Verdict From Ben Roethlisberger On Starting Max Iheanachor In Week 1

There are several storylines that remain for the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite their 2026 preseason officially ending this past Thursday. All eyes are now on the young signal-callers Will Howard and Drew Allar. Both men showcased their talents for the first time on an NFL stage, and both certainly had their ups and downs. Howard and Allar's performances were tainted by perhaps the second-biggest storyline in Pittsburgh: the offensive line. The big men up front looked like a group with lots of rust to shake off and a unit still adjusting to a new scheme. 

The group has struggled overall, but the right side has been alarming, manned by Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook. Cook is coming off a season where he found himself in the starting lineup after being the fourth-string tackle. After a strong showing in the final five games of the season, Cook gave Steeler Nation lots of reason for optimism with his play, but the coaching staff still elected to take another offensive tackle in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Max Iheanachor was considered a project tackle coming out of Arizona, but was still impressive during training camp. After suffering an injury before the first preseason game, Iheanachor saw his first NFL action in the loss to the Buffalo Bills, where he showed tremendous potential, but also the work that still needs to be done. Iheanachor wasn't expected to play much in his rookie season with Cook as the starter, but with his recent struggles, one Steelers legend believes that should change. 

Ben Roethlisberger recently appeared on an episode of his podcast Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, where he talked about the team's recent preseason game against the Bills. He believes that even though Cook is the veteran and took most of the reps in training camp and preseason, the organization should turn to Iheanachor.

"I think you throw 'IMAX' in there. I think he's your first-rounder. Yes, minimal reps; there's going to be hiccups. There's going to be bumps in the road. There's going to be issues, but you want him to learn as much on the fly as possible," Roethlisberger said. "He needs to be in there. He needs to take his lumps, take his bumps."

Even in the small sample size, Iheanachor showed the Steelers exactly why he was a first-round pick, and enough for a legend who dealt with poor offensive lines at the end of his career to believe he should start. He won't be perfect, but Mike McCarthy and James Campen can help out the prospect schematically. They can give him slide protections and chip help from Darnell Washington, or a running back. 

Week 1 should be a ramp-up game for Pittsburgh's offensive tackles, as both of the Atlanta Falcons' starting edge rushers will be out for the game. No matter who starts between Cook and Iheanachor, September 13 should be a good tune-up game and raise confidence not just in the bookends, but for the unit as a whole. 

Steelers' Offensive Tackles Need To Shine In Week 1

Not only has Cook struggled in the preseason at times, but Troy Fautanu has not looked comfortable in his left tackle spot either. Fautanu has given up several pressures and is generating virtually no push in the run game. He is in his first professional season on blindside after starting at right tackle, but playing left side for three years in college hasn't translated just yet. He was one of the better tackles in 2025 on the right side, getting better every week, and the Steelers are hopeful they will see that same progression on the left side.

With Campen hired to replace Pat Meyer, the offensive line was expected to make a huge leap in 2026, but so far things are starting slowly. There is still lots of time for the unit to get things figured out, and lots of reps to be had in practice to prepare for the Falcons. 

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