Steelers Flag Drew Allar, 26-Year-Old Asante Samuel Jr. as Early Camp Winners

Q: How severe is the injury that abruptly halted rookie prodigy Max Iheanachor's dominant run against elite pass rushers?

It appears significant enough to cost Max Iheanachor at least two weeks of practice and likely two preseason games, but not severe enough at this point to suggest a long-term or season-threatening injury. Early in camp, Mike McCarthy described the issue as an upper-body injury and initially said Iheanachor might return by the following Monday. That did not happen. Subsequent reporting identified the injury as involving the shoulder and neck area, and by Aug. 17 McCarthy said there was still no firm timeline for a full return, though Iheanachor was “making progress.” That shift matters. What began as something the Steelers seemed to view as short-term has lingered longer than expected. Iheanachor has not been cleared for full team work 11 days after leaving practice, and McCarthy said he does not expect him to play this week against the Jets unless there is a rapid change in the next 48 hours. Reports also say he briefly did some individual work but remained out of full practice. So the best read is that the injury is moderate rather than catastrophic: serious enough to interrupt a strong camp, derail his push for the starting right tackle job, and force Pittsburgh to be cautious with a first-round rookie, but with no evidence so far of surgery, injured reserve consideration, or a feared long-term absence. The main impact right now is developmental and competitive, not necessarily season-ending.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 17

Drew Allar emerged as Pittsburgh’s biggest early training-camp winner after outperforming the more-hyped Will Howard-Mason Rudolph quarterback battle before camp was cut short.
Asante Samuel Jr. also boosted his standing by capitalizing on first-team reps during Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. absences, and his strong Latrobe work carried into preseason action.
First-round tackle Max Iheanachor impressed quickly against T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig before an injury ended his camp, while Broderick Jones drew praise after returning from a severe neck injury.
On the downside, Troy Fautanu struggled with a move from right tackle to left tackle, and Gennings Dunker failed to seize a bigger role during his transition from tackle to guard.
The early stocktake, triggered by unforeseen circumstances that shortened camp, also cast doubt on a young running back’s 53-man roster chances as others outperformed him.