The Pittsburgh Steelers sparked some hope in the fan base after the team was able to take down the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Steelers won the game by a score of 30-27, which was a bit of a shock as Pittsburgh had only scored 16 points on offense throughout the first two games of the season. The Bengals' defense was also playing really well up until that point, so Pittsburgh may have finally turned the corner offensively. A big reason for that was Head Coach Mike McCarthy trimming down the game plan for the players, and some personnel changes also made a difference.
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Mike McCarthy watches from the sideline during a Week 3 game against the Bengals.
The major changes that were made for Pittsburgh when it came to who was on the field occurred on the offensive line. Going into the 2026 season the Steelers had open jobs at right guard and right tackle, and Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook won those jobs during training camp. It took two games before changes had to be made as Brock Hoffman became the starter at right guard and rookie Max Iheanachor cracked the starting lineup at right tackle.
Both players played well, but all eyes were on Iheanachor as he was the organization's first-round pick in 2026. He impressed in his first start as both McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke highly of his play, and former Pittsburgh offensive lineman Trai Essex also had some strong opinions of Iheanachor which he posted to social media.
"This is not hyperbole," Essex wrote. "IMAX has the best feet I’ve seen on a human his size since Trent Williams. Let’s hope that translates to a similar career. He has EVERY SINGLE tool to be not just good or great, but dominant."
Any comparison to Trent Williams is a welcome comparison. He is considered by some to be the best pure football player in the NFL, but of course he does not get as much recognition as he should since he is an offensive lineman. Williams has been an All-Pro five times and a Pro Bowler 12 times, and he is certainly a future Hall of Famer.
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Sep 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Max Iheanachor (71) blocks Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Cedric Johnson (52) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium.
Iheanachor and Williams have some similarities. Both were first-round draft picks, and they each have similar measurements. Iheanachor is an inch taller than Williams but they each weigh right around 320 pounds. It is impressive for anyone that is that size to move with quickness and agility while blocking some of the best athletes in the world, but that is something that Williams has been able to do ever since being drafted back in 2010. Iheanachor showed he was able to do that on Sunday as well, but obviously that sample size is fairly small. He is going to have to continue to impress moving forward, and that starts with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.
Steelers Should Only Expect Max Iheanachor To Improve
It is far too early to say that Iheanachor is a future Pro Bowler or All-Pro as he has only started one game, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his future. He has received praise from nearly everyone that has been around him and watched him, and is also still considered a raw prospect. He didn't start playing football until later on in life, so he still has a ton of things to learn that might only make him better.
Iheanachor getting off to a good start is a breath of fresh air for the Steelers as the organization has been trying to nail down the tackle spots for the last several years. Iheanachor has a long way to go, but he seems like he has the makings to potentially be a franchise tackle in Pittsburgh.
What do you think about the Steelers potentially having the next Williams? What do you expect from him on Thursday? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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