Max Iheanachor made his pro game debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, stepping in at right tackle during the second quarter of the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills. It was his first NFL game action, and it came with a quick reminder of how steep the climb can be: on his second offensive series, he was beaten cleanly by Andre Jones Jr. for a sack of Will Howard.
That was the point of the night for Iheanachor. He entered at the start of the Steelers’ fifth possession, replacing Broderick Jones as the only non-starter on the field at that moment. The timing mattered because the Steelers were using a heavily reserve-laden lineup, and this was one of the few chances to see a rookie tackle handle live snaps with something close to a game plan around him.
Only three first-team players on the official depth chart played in Buffalo, and Aaron Rodgers did not make the trip. Mason Rudolph dressed and was likely there only for an emergency role. The rest of the look was built for evaluation, not continuity. Dylan Cook worked the entire first half at left tackle, Broderick Jones opened on the right side, and the club was sorting through options that include Cook, Iheanachor and Jones at the position.
Iheanachor’s snap was a useful one precisely because it was not tidy. A rookie’s first appearance often tells a team more in failure than in comfort, and this one showed how quickly a pass rush can expose a mistake. The Bills game also gave the Steelers a fuller view of a line that had been missing pieces, with Daylen Everette and Gennings Dunker each starting and playing the entire first half after sitting out the previous preseason game because of undisclosed injuries.
The Steelers will decide on the right tackle picture with more information now than they had before Thursday, but not with a final answer. Iheanachor has put his first NFL rep on film, and the next question is whether that debut earns him more work or sends him back into the competition chasing the same job from behind.
