Would Max Iheanachor failing to start constitute a failed rookie season?
The Steelers view Max Iheanachor as a long-term starter for them, but how soon does he need to begin his long-term venture? Many question his NFL readiness due to this lack of long-term playing background. At the college level, however, he has a more than a respectable amount of starting experience.
Until we hear otherwise, the only competition Iheanachor has is Dylan Cook. Maybe that’s no feat we should scoff at, if we let Cook’s tape from last season speak for him. A former college free agent who has spent most of his career on practice squads, he is a player easy to underestimate on paper. But maybe Cook is ready to be a legitimate NFL starter, all on his own.
The Steelers will likely need him to be, if Max Iheanachor isn’t. The only other viable alternative hinges on Broderick Jones being healthy and ready enough to start by Sept. 13. As we sit here today, with a lack of information about his status, that’s difficult to imagine.
Of course, Iheanachor doesn’t have to start from Week 1, but does he have to start by Week 18? If he fails to do so, will that constitute a failed rookie season? Or is it perfectly reasonable, with respect to his background, if he takes a full year to mature?
Iheanachor isn’t the only variable in the equation, though. If Dylan Cook is playing well, there would be no reason for the coaching staff to tinker the line. In fact, other than quarterback, the offensive line is the last thing you want to tinker with, if it’s working well.
So it may be, come December, for example, that Iheanachor is ready to start but simply lacks the opportunity. When Broderick Jones was a rookie, the Steelers seized a disciplinary opportunity for Chukwuma Okorafor to make the switch. He also started one game at left tackle prior to that when Dan Moore Jr. missed time.
There’s no guarantee that similar scenarios fall into the lap of Iheanachor. If he isn’t a starter by Week 1 and Troy Fautanu and Cook hold down the fort all year, what is he to do?
The Steelers have a long road ahead of them under Mike McCarthy, along with his cadre of quarterbacks.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are under fire for their repeated playoff failures. While we have seen many changes, none could dream of topping Mike Tomlin resigning.
We’re already deep into the offseason, with free agency and the draft already reshaping rosters. The Steelers, of course, are used to early offseason mode as a team thatloses by the middle of January all the time. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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