The Pittsburgh Steelers have one glaring issue heading into the regular season, and it’s sitting on the right side of their offensive line.
The left side, at least, started to settle in during the second preseason game. Troy Fautanu looked like his All-Pro self at left tackle, Mason McCormick handled the move to left guard well, and Zach Frazier continued to look like Zach Frazier. That part of the line is giving the Steelers something to build on.
The other side is a different story.
Dylan Cook, who has been working as the starting right tackle, has been losing rep after rep through two preseason appearances. Spencer Anderson has flashed at times, but he hasn’t been steady enough to make head coach Mike McCarthy comfortable with either option. McCarthy even mixed in Brock Hoffman and Broderick Jones in the first half, a clear sign the job is still very much up for grabs.
That uncertainty matters because the Steelers are running out of time. With one game left before the regular season, the right tackle spot has turned into a real concern.
The problem gets worse when you look at the depth chart. The team’s best remaining in-house answer may be first-round rookie Max Iheanachor, the 21st overall pick in the 2026 draft. He was almost ready to take the starting right tackle job from Cook before an early training camp injury slowed everything down.
Now the Steelers may be forced to lean on Iheanachor anyway.
That’s a tough ask for a player who hasn’t appeared in an NFL game yet, but the pressure in Pittsburgh is only rising. Aaron Rodgers and company are trying to make a real run at the Lombardi Trophy, and they’re going to need the right side of the line sorted out for that to happen.
If the Steelers decide they need outside help, general manager Omar Khan’s trade history means that route can’t be ignored. The team has made multiple major trades in recent seasons, and with the 2026 campaign carrying real expectations, another swing wouldn’t be surprising.
Still, a trade may not be easy to pull off. Teams are finalizing their 53-man rosters, and some may be unwilling to move anyone until those decisions are set. By the time they’re ready to deal, the price for a starting-caliber tackle could climb quickly.
That makes the trade market a risky play for Pittsburgh.
Free agency is the last fallback, though it doesn’t exactly come with a lot of confidence. There are still a few veteran tackles available, and a short-term signing could at least bridge the gap while Iheanachor works his way back to full strength.
One name is Jonah Williams, the former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick. He was a reliable tackle in Cincinnati before injuries disrupted his last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. The Steelers could use better health than that, but if he were fully healthy, he would bring 74 games of starting experience to the position.
Another option is Jack Conklin, who has started 114 games in his career with the Browns and Titans. He would give Pittsburgh a proven veteran presence and could also serve as a mentor for Iheanachor and Fautanu. He comes with injury questions too, but if the Steelers are desperate, he’s the kind of stopgap they may have to consider.
In Other News...
Drew Allar Just Revealed What Still Must Change In Pittsburgh
A rougher preseason outing gave Drew Allar and the Steelers a more useful kind of tape to study than another polished stat line would have. After following up his stronger showing with an 11-for-23 effort for 110 yards in Week 2, the rookie quarterback said he saw places where he could have been cleaner, especially by taking the easier completions earlier in drives and helping the offense settle in sooner.
For Pittsburgh, that kind of self-assessment matters as much as the box score right now. The receiving group had its share of drops, the overall performance never really found a rhythm, and Allar is still in the middle of his development, but the encouraging part is that he looked like a young quarterback learning from a difficult night instead of shrinking from it. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Rookie Returner Suddenly Has Everything Riding On One Game
Kaden Wetjens first two preseason games have already put him in the kind of spot every rookie is trying to avoid in late August. The Steelers fourth-round returner flashed some juice in his debut, showing real activity as both a receiver and on special teams, but his follow-up was far quieter and ended with a lost fumble, the sort of mistake that can quickly change the tone of a roster battle.
Now Wetjen has one last chance to make his case before final cuts, and the margin for error is shrinking fast. Insider Mark Kaboly has already described him as on the bubble for Pittsburghs 53-man roster, which leaves the rookie in a simple but unforgiving place: one more strong performance could help him stick, while another uneven outing would make the decision even tougher for the Steelers staff. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers May Be Running Out Of Patience With Broderick Jones
Broderick Jones was supposed to be part of the Steelers long-term answer on the offensive line when Pittsburgh took him in the first round in 2023, but his path since then has been anything but smooth. Injuries, including a neck issue, and repeated position changes have complicated his development, and even with preseason reps, he has not locked down the kind of steady role the team hoped he would grow into.
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 🡒]