As the Steelers head into training camp in Latrobe, a few spots on the roster already look settled. Wide receiver is one of them, and the same goes for outside linebacker and cornerback, where the depth chart appears to be pretty much locked in before the first regular-season snap is even on the horizon.
Right tackle is being talked about differently, at least on the surface. First-round rookie Max Iheanachor and Dylan Cook are the names attached to the competition, and that’s enough to make it one of the camp storylines worth watching. But the way this has played out suggests the answer is already sitting there.
Cook is the one lined up to open 2026 as the starter on the right side.
That’s not a flashy development, but it is the result of a steady climb. Cook arrived as an undrafted free agent and worked his way from the practice squad to backup duty, then to a temporary starting role to close out the 2025 season. That kind of rise doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s now positioned him for another move up the ladder.
He started five games at left tackle last year, and the shift to right tackle is the next step. The Steelers have reason to like what they’ve seen.
In that stretch as a starter, Cook gave up only one sack and two hurries across 187 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus game data. If that level of play carries over to the right side, Pittsburgh’s offensive line gets a real boost in 2026.
Iheanachor, meanwhile, comes in with the kind of expectations that follow a first-round pick. The ideal version of this story has him becoming an immediate force up front. But the Steelers also know he’s still a raw player, loaded with talent and upside, yet in need of technical work and reps before he can be trusted to take over.
That’s where Cook matters. Pittsburgh doesn’t have to rush Iheanachor into a job he isn’t ready for. He can develop without the burden of being handed the starting role right away, and that runway could help him when the time comes to take the job from Cook.
So yes, Cook and Iheanachor will draw plenty of attention once camp gets rolling. They’ll work against each other, push each other, and keep the room competitive. But the real decision on the starting right tackle spot was made long before camp ever opened.
In Other News...
Steelers 2021 Draft Looks Even More Painful In Retrospect
Looking back at the Steelers 2021 draft, it is easy to see why a re-draft exercise would sting. The class was supposed to help stabilize a roster in transition, but the alternate board paints a picture of a team that could have come away with a far more balanced haul, especially along the offensive line and in the middle of the defense. Players like Creed Humphrey, Milton Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown all stand out as the kind of additions that would have changed the feel of the class immediately.
The deeper the re-do goes, the more the missed opportunities pile up. Jonathan Cooper, Talanoa Hufanga and Trey Smith are the sort of names that make the original decisions look even harsher in hindsight, because each one addresses a clear need and brings a clearer long-term fit. For a team that has spent the years since trying to patch together depth and consistency, the most frustrating part is not just who Pittsburgh passed on, but how many different spots in that draft could have been upgraded at once. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Rookie Is Already Stirring A Familiar Aaron Rodgers Debate
Germie Bernard has already given the Steelers a little offseason intrigue before taking a regular-season snap, and it starts with the kind of detail fans notice right away. The rookie receiver, a second-round pick out of Alabama, is coming off a productive final college season and arrives in Pittsburgh with a profile that fits what the offense wants from its young pass catchers, especially in the slot.
Bernard also picked jersey No. 17, a choice tied to his admiration for Davante Adams, and that alone is enough to stir memories of the old Rodgers-Adams connection for anyone watching this offense closely. Pittsburgh plans to bring Bernard along gradually in a veteran setting, with Roman Wilson also in the mix for slot work, but the number and the pedigree have already made him one of the more interesting rookies to track as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Another National Voice Just Took Aim At Rodgers And The Steelers
The Aaron Rodgers conversation in Pittsburgh keeps drawing national attention, and this time the skepticism came from a familiar NFL voice. Former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum used a SportsCenter appearance to cast doubt on the Steelers ceiling, even as the roster around Rodgers has been upgraded and the AFC North remains one of the leagues most unforgiving divisions.
The broader backdrop is what makes the debate linger. Baltimore and Cincinnati still shape the conversation in the North, and both carry their own health questions at quarterback, which only adds to the uncertainty around how the division will unfold. Pittsburghs path through the 2026 schedule will help answer a lot of it, but for now the Steelers are still being sized up against rivals with as much talent and more recent postseason credibility. [Read more 🡒]