A day after hearing his quarterback send a compliment his way, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Max Iheanachor expressed the confidence necessary to be cast into a starting role as a rookie.
Max Iheanachor Is Ready If Called Upon
“Definitely. 100%,” responded Iheanachor when directly asked if he’s ready to start this Sunday afternoon if called upon. Iheanachor then explained that his confidence stems from practice and his “trust in the install” of the game plan throughout the week.
Iheanachor’s calm confidence follows Aaron Rodgers endorsing the rookie as a future cornerstone member of Pittsburgh’s offensive line of the future a day earlier.
Aaron Rodgers Expects Big Things 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 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 OL 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.
Steelers fans will have to wait until Sunday to see if Iheanachor is part of the starting offensive line when Pittsburgh battles the Cincinnati Bengals. Kickoff from Acrisure Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Steelers Rookie OL Max Iheanachor Makes Bold Statement on Potential Week 3 Start