Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Dylan Cook turned heads in his first career start in Monday night’s win over the Miami Dolphins. The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder out of Montana received the third-highest grade by Pro Football Focus. He was the only Steelers offensive lineman to not allow a pressure in pass protection.
“I thought he played really well. I played well when he came in, and I thought he played really well this last week,” Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “He’s a real calm guy in the huddle, and I like his demeanor. We wanted to make sure he felt comfortable, so we gave him some chips early in the game and some slides. But I think he handled his own really well, and I think every rep for him is confidence. I’m really proud of the way Dylan played.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin also praised Cook during his Tuesday press conference.
“He’s another example of a guy upholding the standard,” Tomlin said. “We’ve absorbed some attrition, to say the least, at that position. He was part of a winning effort. He’s deserving of congratulations for that.”
Cook started the year as the team’s No. 4 option at left tackle. Starter Broderick Jones (neck) and swing backup Calvin Anderson (knee) are both on the injured reserve list. He’s certainly making the most of the opportunity.
Despite the standout performance against Miami, Cook knows there’s still a lot to work on.
“It was good, but there’s always work to be done, always things to improve on,” Cook said. “I’ll just keep working this week to be better next week.”
Cook credited veteran left guard Isaac Seumalo for showing him the ropes.
“It definitely slowed down a little bit,” Cook said. “It helped out that I had Isaac next to me, lined me up pretty well. I definitely had the advantage with the snap count being home, so I took advantage of it.”
NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger thought Cook was unbelievable on Monday night. Baldinger called it a “flawless virtuoso performance.”
“All I saw was stellar play,” Baldinger said of Cook in a video breakdown on X. “There wasn’t one bad snap. … It was one great set after another.”
“It’s unbelievable. This kid was a quarterback in Montana in high school, a long snapper, a walk-on at Montana. Here he is, making his first NFL start, ‘Monday Night Football,’” Baldinger said. “They’ve been looking for a left tackle … forever. They drafted one in the first round. This is the cleanest Aaron Rodgers has been protected on the back side all year. And there was a lot of good rushers. … Maybe this is the answer. … Dylan Cook was awesome, spectacular — maybe the future.”
.@MiamiDolphins @steelers LT; Dylan Cook; made his first NFL start and it was a flawless virtuoso performance….Not one bad snap in 66 snaps …No penalties; very clean game! Bravo Bravo. #herewego #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/FZNpZ10O5T
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 17, 2025...
