With the season quickly approaching, the Pittsburgh Steelers are now one step closer to playing real football — that is, Week One of the regular season. Part of this involves trimming the roster down to 53 players by Sunday, August 30th, 2026, at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. By doing that, Pittsburgh traded former first-round draft pick Broderick Jones, a University of Georgia player, to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2027 third-round and sixth-round draft pick. It became clear based on his preseason and training camp performances that it was time to move on, which also means rookie offensive tackle Max Iheanachor is the biggest beneficiary of Jones' departure. He should become the starting right tackle sooner rather than later, ahead of incumbent
veteran Dylan Cook. Still, it exposes a potentially concerning area of depth that could come back to bite the Steelers if they don't address it quickly.
Aaron Rodgers isn't getting any younger at age 42, and with his mobility declining and his ability to take sacks becoming more difficult, pass protection will be absolutely crucial not only to an efficient passing attack, but also to a successful season. As they say, you can never have enough good players on your team, and that couldn't be more true when carrying numerous backup offensive tackles who are not only capable of filling in when needed, but also not wasting a roster spot. Currently, Pittsburgh has Iheanachor, Cook, Jack Driscoll, and Troy Fautanu (the starter at left tackle). Needless to say, if someone goes down with an injury, this unit makes head coach Mike McCarthy's Steelers' tenure challenging from the get-go.
Annually speaking, there are always solid players let go during roster cutdowns around this time, so the Steelers won't have any issue finding someone adequate off the streets. Options at tackle are plenty: Jedrick Wills Jr., Jonah Williams, Cornelius Lucas, Cam Robinson, James Hudson III, and Wanya Morris are just a handful of names they could look at for positional versatility, starting experience, and immediate depth at swing tackle. Assuming Iheanachor is the eventual starter, this gives them another reason to add at the position because veteran experience that is more than average matters.
The 53-man roster is far from finished, despite initial rosters becoming finalized. Waivers run tomorrow, and practice squads are yet to be finalized, so now is the time to acquire a backup (or two) who can fill a void too important to overlook.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers have a need for OT depth after Broderick Jones trade
