To follow up what Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said about Max Iheanachor earlier in the week, Aaron Rodgers praised the rookie offensive lineman after practice on Wednesday.
Usually a tough critic and requiring young players to earn his compliments, Rodgers made his confidence in Iheanachor known, even taking into account his inexperience.
Aaron Rodgers Praised What He’s Seen From Max Iheanacho
“In one sense he’s raw because he hasn’t played football that long. The other sense, he’s got a beautiful set. And you don’t say that about every tackle,” Rodgers told reporters, including Brooke Pryor of ESPN, about Iheanachor.
“There’s nice sets and then there’s beautiful sets. … I think when he hones his skills, Max is going to have a chance to be a longtime staple on the offensive line,” added as his prediction and expectations for the rookie for years to come.
Rodgers’ comments came after McCarthy detailed Iheanachor’s progress to this point, causing some to speculate if he may crack the starting lineup based on the recent struggles of the current offensive line. McCarthy also sent a message to the entire offense as his immediate response to the Steelers’ 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots.
“It’s two weeks. I think the big thing is — the buzz words are to come in here and say everything’s correctible, we can fix everything. That’s a matter of fact, it’s true, but if you’re making the same mistakes, those are the things, whether you’re young or a veteran, that’s what we have to address,” McCarthy responded when asked what’s wrong with the offense during his postgame press conference.
Mike McCarthy Detailed Max Iheanachor’s Progress So Far
“Max [Iheanachor] is taking a step each and every week. I thought he had a really good Thursday in the padded, individual work. He’s definitely making big steps. He’s getting better,” said McCarthy on Monday as part of his weekly press conference.
And while it’s possible McCarthy may not feel the need to rush Iheanachor into a starting role this early in his career, it’s also possible he may consider it based on the struggles of right tackle Dylan Clark. His recent track record of filling in admirably not withstanding, many experts also believe there’s a ceiling to the level Clark can ever reach.
Pittsburgh Drafted Iheanachor to Become Key Member of the Offensive Line for Years to Come
Before being selected by the Steelers with the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh in April, Iheanachor stood out during his college career at Arizona State. The California native spent three seasons with the Sun Devils after excelling at a junior college in 2022. Then, as a highly ranked junior college prospect, he transferred to Arizona State to experience major conference football in the Big 12.
Iheanachor capped off his senior season by being named a member of the All-Big 12 second-team.
Aaron Rodgers Makes Bold Prediction About Rookie OL Max Iheanachor