The Steelers have a roster puzzle on their hands, and Max Iheanachor may be the piece they have to set aside for now.
Pittsburgh spent a first-round pick on Iheanachor with the idea that he could become its right tackle of the future, and the team moved quickly to clear a path for him. Troy Fautanu shifted to the left side, and early on, Iheanachor was flashing the kind of practice tape that gets coaches excited.
Then the injury hit, and that momentum vanished. He missed the second half of training camp and still hasn’t gotten on the field.
That’s why the cleanest answer may also be the hardest one: the Steelers should look to stash Iheanachor on injured reserve for the opening stretch of the season.
That move can’t happen immediately, because putting him on injured reserve right now would shut down his season. But right before cutdowns, Pittsburgh could place him there and keep him sidelined for at least four weeks before activation. It would give him time to finish healing without costing the team a roster spot.
And right now, the Steelers can afford to be patient at tackle. Dylan Cook was expected to start at right tackle anyway, and Broderick Jones is healthy and playing well enough to stay in the conversation. With that kind of depth, Pittsburgh doesn’t need to force Iheanachor back before he’s ready.
The bigger issue is how crowded the rest of the roster picture has become. The Steelers are weighing possibilities like keeping four quarterbacks, seven defensive linemen, or an extra player in the secondary.
Lew Nichols has even made a late push to stick as a fourth running back. Every one of those decisions squeezes the final roster.
That’s where Iheanachor’s situation becomes useful, even if it stings. Parking him on injured reserve for the early part of the season would open a spot and give the Steelers more flexibility elsewhere. They could carry another name while the rookie continues to recover.
It also buys the team time. If another injury pops up, or if the depth chart settles differently over the first month, Pittsburgh can reassess then. With strong offensive line depth already in place, the Steelers would still have a chance to protect some of their better reserve options while waiting for Iheanachor to return.
No one wants to write off a rookie season before it even starts. But in this case, the logic is pretty straightforward.
Iheanachor is already hurt, he wasn’t going to play right away, and the Steelers need room to maneuver. The painful move may be the obvious one.
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The bigger question now is less about his draft status than his fit in Pittsburghs plans. Jones has 38 NFL starts on his rsum, but the Steelers still have reason to wonder whether he can be counted on as a reliable tackle, which is why they are weighing every possible outcome, from keeping him as depth to moving on entirely or seeing whether the trade market offers a better answer. [Read more 🡒]