Max Iheanachor
Max Iheanachor
Max Iheanachor entered the NFL with the unique distinction of having two fellow first-round picks at his position as teammates. The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected an offensive tackle in the first round of three of the last four drafts and Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu were ready to impart their wisdom on the rookie from day one.
Appearing on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast before the news of Jones’s trade to the Dallas Cowboys, Jones and Fautanu were asked what Iheanachor needs to be ready for in his rookie season.
“Honestly, Max has gotta continue to get better every day,” Jones said. “Continue to stay healthy, and play his game. As long as he’s able to play his game and not get in his head, I feel like he’ll be all right. I think that’s where a lot of rookies come in and mess up. They try and overcompensate and just do too much.
“You don’t have to be a Superman, you don’t have to be an Aaron Rodgers every play, you know what I’m saying? Especially at o-line. We just gotta be able to protect and block. So as long as he can do that, I feel like it’d be all right.”
Fautanu echoed Jones’ message, encouraging Iheanachor to keep things simple while drawing on his own experience as a rookie.
“Yeah, I think just talking to him and kind of going back to last year being kind of like my rookie year, I would say, like Broderick said, I kind of overcomplicated, tried to do a lot when really, I had to just play my game and really, that was the way that kind of slowed everything down for me,” Fautanu said.
Jones and Fautanu have both dealt with adversity in their NFL careers since being first round selections. As a rookie in 2023, Jones began the season as a backup behind starters Dan Moore and Chukwuma Okorafor. He eventually earned his first start in Week 5 in place of an injured Moore and eventually became the starter at right tackle ahead of Okorafor.
The next season, after being named the starting right tackle to start the season, Jones was benched for Fautanu in Week 2 after numerous penalties. Jones was only brought back to the starting lineup after a season-ending injury to Fautanu.
That season-ending injury wasn’t the only adversity that Fautanu faced as a rookie, however. He was injured in his first preseason game as a pro and missed the rest of the preseason, only to return for the aforementioned Week 2 game where he replaced Jones. Soon after, Fautanu was injured in practice and missed the remainder of his rookie season, playing in only one game.
While Jones and Fautanu’s careers have taken different paths and are now on different teams, both have experience to share with Iheanachor.
Iheanachor finally got to play in a game in Pittsburgh’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills following his injury on Thursday and, while much of the attention was on the sack he allowed early in the game, he played a solid game overall. The right tackle position is still unsettled with Dylan Cook, the presumed starter, struggling in preseason action.
With Jones now gone in Dallas, the prospect of Iheanachor starting the season as the swing tackle with Cook as the starter becomes more realistic.
Even if he’s not the opening day starter, Iheanachor figures to get into the lineup sooner than later. Pittsburgh can hope that the advice from players like Jones and Fautanu, who have been in his shoes, will help him adjust quickly and make the most of his opportunity when it comes.