The Pittsburgh Steelers and first-round pick Max Iheanachor agreed to terms today on a rookie contract. As the 21st overall selection, Iheanachor’s contract will be a four-year deal expected to be worth a total of $20.69 million with an $11.598 million signing bonus. His 2026 cap charge should come in around $3.8 million. His deal is fully guaranteed.
NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported that the Steelers and Iheanachor came to agreement on a contract. The deal gets done days before Pittsburgh begins OTAs on Monday.
#Steelers have agreed to terms with first-round pick Max Iheanchor on fully guaranteed four-year, $20.692 million contract with fifth-year club option, per league source that includes $11.598 million signing bonus @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 15, 2026
As a first-round pick, Iheanachor also comes with a fifth-year option that the team can exercise after his third season in the league. The last first-round pick the Steelers exercised the fifth-year option on was OLB T.J. Watt.
Iheanachor comes to the Steelers after having began his football career at East Lost Angeles Community College. He later transferred to Arizona State, where he appeared in 32 games over three seasons with 31 starts. He measured in at 6057, 321 pounds with 33 7/8-inch arms at the NFL Combine, giving him ideal size for an NFL offensive tackle. Most of Iheanachor’s collegiate reps came at right tackle, though it remains to be seen where the Steelers plan on using him.
Pittsburgh currently has Troy Fautanu slated to start at tackle, while Broderick Jones’ availability for the start of the season is in question due to a neck injury suffered last season. Dylan Cook also remains as a tackle option, and Cook played well at the end of last season.
Our scouting report concluded that, while raw for the position, Iheanachor has a strong athletic profile for an NFL offensive tackle.
“There’s a lot to like with ideal size, elite movement skills, and improving technique from year to year at Arizona State. His use of hands will need to improve overall, and he could stand to impose his will more often as a blocker in the run game. Dominance at the Senior Bowl likely helped his case, and his limitless potential will push him higher up on the board than he perhaps is ready for.”
Iheanachor may not be a Week 1 contributor, but he has immense potential and could turn out to be the best tackle in the 2026 NFL Draft. That upside led the Steelers to take him in the first round, and now with his contract done, he can continue to focus on getting ready for the upcoming season.
Pittsburgh has three of its ten draft picks unsigned: second round WR Germie Bernard, third round QB Drew Allar, and seventh round RB/WR Eli Heidenreich.
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