Max Iheanachor Mark Kaboly
Max Iheanachor Mark Kaboly
The injury that Pittsburgh Steelers rookie offensive tackle Max Iheanachor sustained Thursday seems to have put a kink in his bid to win a starting job.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said Friday morning that Iheanachor will be fine and should return to practice Monday. But missing valuable reps Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in his first training camp seems like it will be a big blow for the young player who is trying to beat out veteran Dylan Cook at right tackle.
Not so, says longtime Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly.
“Oh, he has plenty of time. Surprisingly, the only thing that he lacks right now is reps. He needs a ton of reps. And he’s missing them the past, whatever, today, tomorrow, he should be back Monday. Everything else is pretty flawless right now,” Kaboly said of Iheanachor Friday on the 93.7 The Fan PM Show with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “The IQ is — I’ve talked to some guys about him. IQ’s off the charts. The footwork is off the charts. But he just hasn’t done it. And if you miss a span like this, and I think [Troy] Fautanu did that early in his [rookie] training camp, it sets you back a little bit.”
Iheanachor exited Thursday’s practice in Latrobe with an apparent shoulder/neck injury, spending quite a bit of time on the sideline getting worked on by the training staff before walking up the hill to the facility. McCarthy said Friday morning that Iheanachor will be okay and that it was nothing serious.
That’s a good sign, but as Kaboly pointed out, the valuable reps the first-round pick is missing out on could hurt him.
However, what Iheanachor has done in pads to this point has been pretty impressive. Considered raw coming out of college by draft analysts, Iheanachor has looked anything but that. As Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora noted earlier in the week, Iheanachor has looked good with his hands, feet and overall athleticism.
It's always difficult to think back and compare, but Max Iheanachor's first time through 1v1s today was one of the better showings I can remember from a rookie OL.
He was impressive. Patience in his set, his athleticism, his redirect, his punch. Whew. #Steelers
That’s why the injury — even if minor in nature — dampens the mood some. Iheanachor still has plenty of time to return and get back up to speed. But losing out on valuable reps across three days is tough for a young player who needs every snap he can get.
Hopefully he’s able to return Monday like McCarthy said and can pick up where he left off in the buildup to his first preseason game.