The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 preseason schedule is now in the rearview mirror as Mike McCarthy gets ready to lead the team in his inaugural season in the Steel City. On Sunday, the team cut their roster down to 53 players as initial rosters were due by 6:00 PM ET per the NFL rules. Despite this first roster reveal ahead of the 2026 regular season, things can still change ahead of the Week 1 matchup for the Black and Gold at home against the Atlanta Falcons. Several rookies made the roster upon the initial release, but one was mentioned Monday as someone who should start.
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Steelers' Mike McCarthy looks on during Pittsburgh's 17-0 loss to the New York Jets during the 2026 preseason.
The first roster reveal on Sunday evening did come with a little bit of a surprise. The one rookie on that roster that did not come as a shock was Pittsburgh's 2026 first-round draft pick Max Iheanachor making the cut. At 6-foot-6 and just over 320 pounds, the former Arizona State lineman has the raw size and frame you want in an NFL prospect. This is especially true as he will be part of a unit helping to protect 42-year-old veteran Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
On Monday, former Pittsburgh offensive lineman Trai Essex joined 93.7 The Fan in a radio appearance in which he was asked several questions surrounding the team ahead of Week 1. During the segment, he was specifically asked about the outlook of the offensive line for the organization. His comments offered high praise for the first-round pick.
“iMax [Max Iheanachor] has to start,” Essex said. “He has to start, keep Darnell Washington close by at the early part of games. I don’t think he’s going to have a hard time adjusting. I think these next 13 days are crucial, obviously. I think because Dylan Cook played left tackle, they need to get him some swing tackle reps. That told me in itself they want iMax to start.”
The rookie received his chance to play in the final preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on the road. He was able to put his athletic ability on full display. His size alone gives him plenty of promise to be a stalwart on the offensive line. However, his athleticism for the size he has makes for an extremely interesting player to work with in the Steel City.
Steelers' Fluidity On The O-Line Gives Iheanachor Plenty Of Opportunity
One of the biggest storylines this offseason was how the offensive line would have a lot of moving parts and be a work in progress. Following the trade of offensive lineman Broderick Jones this past weekend to the Dallas Cowboys, the door has opened up for Dylan Cook to take over that swing tackle type of role on the offensive line in the 2026 season. Cook did just about all the team could have asked from him in the 2025 NFL season when Jones' season was cut short due to a neck injury.
With Cook's versatility, plus the big role he played last season while filling in, Iheanachor will now likely see a lot of opportunity in his rookie season in the NFL. The offensive line play is going to be vital if the team is going to turn around their output from the 2025 season. They finished 25th in the league last year with 305.6 yards per game of total offense, despite finishing in the middle of the pack in scoring offense with 23.4 points per game.
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Steelers offensive tackle Max Iheanachor during a game against the Bills in the 2026 preseason.
With the front office being extremely active this offseason to bring in playmakers to help on offense, including running back Rico Dowdle and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., it is going to be critical for their offensive line to give Rodgers the time to get the ball to these playmakers. McCarthy is a coach known to have an offensive mind that loves having as many playmakers as possible. Those pieces were brought in so now focus shifts to the offensive line to see if they hold up so they can deploy those new weapons properly, and that includes Iheanachor in his rookie campaign.
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