There's an offensive position where the Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to name a starter, but Mike McCarthy just said the quiet part out loud about why it likely won't be a previously injured rookie.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, McCarthy shared the ugly truth about Max Iheanachor's missed time due to injury, pointing out that it may be tough to throw him into a starting role early.
"Well, I mean, he's an injured player," McCarthy said about Iheanachor. "You have injured players miss games because of injuries, business situations or whatever the criteria is," McCarthy said. "Availability and accountability are the most important parts of this, and being available every single day is huge, especially if you're a rookie. There's so much to love
about Max just in the time he's been out there. It's impressive. Make no doubt about that, he can play. But he hasn't played."
Mike McCarthy says Max Iheneachor has been 'impressive' but because he has missed so much time, it is tough to throw him into the starting role right away.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) September 7, 2026
Added the ability has been there when he's out there.
"Make no mistake about it, he can play."
Although McCarthy declined to declare a definitive starter for Week 1, he admitted that Dylan Cook has been getting "most of the reps" as the first-team right tackle.
Considering McCarthy's comments on both Iheanachor and Cook, it's fair to guess that the latter will get the starting nod in Week 1, even if the Steelers aren't ready to admit it quite yet.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers head coach says quiet part out loud about previously injured rookie
