Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Questions Critical First-Round Decision After Offensive Line Collapse

The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent two weeks searching for fixes along an offensive line that has allowed too much pressure and created too little consistency on the ground. Some corrections require better communication or cleaner technique. Another potential solution is considerably easier to identify because Pittsburgh already invested heavily in it. The uncomfortable question is why that option remains mostly parked on the sideline while the group in front of him continues struggling.

Ben Roethlisberger wants to know why first-round rookie Max Iheanachor still is not receiving a meaningful opportunity. After watching Pittsburgh allow four sacks and score only three points against the New England Patriots, the former Steelers quarterback openly questioned whether something happening away from Sundays is preventing the 21st overall pick from seeing the field.

During a recent episode of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, Roethlisberger ran through the possibilities himself.

“Why is he not playing? Is there something going on in practice or the meeting rooms? Is he — does he not know the offense? Because that’s a reason not to play someone, if they don’t know what they’re doing. Is he just looking really bad in practice? Is he not blocking anybody, or are people beating him left and right? … I don’t know why he’s not in there either. He can’t be worse than what’s in there right now,” Roethlisberger said.

Those questions are speculation, not evidence that Iheanachor is struggling in meetings or practices. In fact, the information Pittsburgh has made public points largely in the opposite direction. Iheanachor said before Week 2 that he felt ready physically and mentally, while the Steelers noted how much work he continued putting into the playbook during the injury that cost him most of August. Teammate Dylan Cook also praised the rookie's growth in understanding formations, terminology and the nuances of the offense. That is what makes Roethlisberger's confusion understandable.

Iheanachor's delayed development originally had an obvious explanation. An upper-body injury interrupted a promising training camp, kept him out of Pittsburgh's first two preseason games and left him with only two practices before the finale in Buffalo. A rookie tackle already considered developmental was suddenly trying to catch up while Cook accumulated the repetitions Pittsburgh needed from its starting right tackle.

The calendar has moved on from August, though. Iheanachor has now been available for both regular-season games and continues to receive almost no meaningful offensive work. Pittsburgh's official records show appearances in each contest without a start, while Mike McCarthy said Monday that the rookie continues taking noticeable steps forward and had several snaps against New England. Meanwhile, the offensive line has hardly created a reason to protect the status quo.

Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times in the 20-3 defeat at Foxborough, and Pittsburgh finished with only 235 total yards. The Patriots repeatedly stressed the Steelers' protection while the rushing attack managed 91 yards and failed to provide enough consistency to keep the offense out of obvious passing situations.

Roethlisberger is not necessarily arguing that Iheanachor would immediately solve everything. His questions are aimed at the threshold Pittsburgh is using to keep him out. If the rookie is making substantial progress in practice, understands the offense and is physically healthy, how poorly does the current line have to perform before development becomes less important than finding out whether the first-rounder can help?

There are legitimate risks. Iheanachor's only preseason appearance was uneven, with the rookie showing his physical power while also allowing a sack and drawing penalties. Throwing an inexperienced tackle into a struggling offensive front can expose technical flaws quickly, especially when the quarterback behind him is 42 years old and already taking too many hits.

Pittsburgh did not draft Iheanachor in the first round because it expected him to spend an entire season being perfectly polished, however. He was selected because his size, athleticism and rapid development suggested the imperfections were worth working through. At some point, development has to include playing football.

The Steelers' own recent update on Iheanachor makes that decision even more interesting. McCarthy has publicly described the rookie as improving each week rather than somebody buried because he cannot handle the assignment. If that continues, Pittsburgh's argument for keeping him behind a struggling line becomes increasingly difficult to explain.

Steelers Have To Decide When Development Becomes Opportunity

There is no requirement that a first-round pick start immediately. Pittsburgh should not make a lineup decision merely because Iheanachor's draft card was handed in on Thursday night instead of Friday or Saturday. Performance has to enter the equation eventually.

The Steelers have invested two regular-season games in their current configuration and received an offense that has scored one touchdown, struggled to establish the run and allowed Rodgers to take repeated punishment. Not every one of those issues belongs to the right tackle, but the collective results remove some of the comfort from simply waiting another month.

Roethlisberger's questions cut to the information fans cannot see. If Iheanachor is missing assignments behind closed doors, Pittsburgh has a legitimate reason to remain patient. If his technique is collapsing in practice, the coaches should protect his development until it stabilizes. The public evidence does not currently suggest either explanation. Instead, Pittsburgh keeps talking about progress while the player making that progress watches most offensive snaps from the sideline. Roethlisberger does not know why. After two ugly weeks up front, the Steelers may soon have to provide a more convincing answer than patience.

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