Steelers Great Maurkice Pouncey Reveals Trouble Young Linemen Have Faced In Recent Years

The Pittsburgh Steelers saw lots of progress during their Week 3 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, especially on the offensive line. While there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, the performance on that front is still something to build off of. This is the developmental year for the unit anyway, with the hope that everyone can gain a strong level of chemistry and play well together for the next decade. Growth still needs to be made each week, as that contest against Cincinnati is not enough. 

The first two weeks of the season were completely abysmal on that front. The offensive line was the biggest reason why the offense was unable to move the ball. The only offensive touchdown drive in that span came off of an interception that set the Steelers up in field goal range. It became clear that things needed to change, and the unit looked much better against the Bengals.

That surprising struggle in the first two weeks maybe should have been expected. In a recent episode of Deebo & Joe, former Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey explained what went wrong with the offensive line for years.

"When the kid, Broderick [Jones] said it, for him to switch up... you're out there against one of the best players, and now you have to go to the right side, and now you're thinking about your calls, your slides, and the protection -- I don't care what anyone says, professionally or not -- it's hard to do," Pouncey explained. "Even at that older level, if you're switching to the other side, at some point in time, you're going to be like, 'Man, this is a little bit difficult, more than what I'm used to.'"

While the Steelers value versatility everywhere, they maybe should have put a little more focus on the continuity of the offensive line, as opposed to running experiments. The final decision was making everyone but the center switch sides, and it led to total offensive chaos in the first two weeks. Even with all the great things being said about the unit after beating the Bengals, it still has a long way to go before being seen as a really good collective.

The Steelers did swap out the starters on the right side of the line, including putting first-round rookie Max Iheanachor at right tackle. He was the only player that did not swap sides throughout the offseason program, as Pittsburgh is committed to developing him on that side. In fact, that commitment is what led to the team deciding to make everyone switch sides in the first place. 

To his credit, Iheanachor played well against the Bengals. Even with the injury he suffered in preseason, he seems to be progressing very well. The first-round pick looks natural at right tackle, and he should keep growing. If the Steelers toyed with his position like they did with everyone else, that quality performance in Week 3 likely does not happen due to how difficult it is to switch around.

Steelers Did Previous First-Round Pick Dirty

As Pouncey brought up, the Steelers kept moving former first-round tackle Broderick Jones around. He was a natural left tackle, but due to them keeping Dan Moore Jr. at that spot, Jones had to start learning how to play on the right side. Jones practiced a lot at left tackle until Chukwuma Okorafor upset the previous coaching staff, leading to him getting benched. 

In 2025, the Steelers finally allowed Jones to play at his natural position. While he was not great, he was making good progress until a neck injury derailed everything. Even with how quickly he recovered from it, he was clearly not the same player during preseason in 2026, and he got traded away in exchange for a mid-round pick swap. Who knows how good he would be if Pittsburgh didn't try to force versatility on him?

What do you think about Pouncey talking about how hard it is for offensive linemen to switch sides? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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