Steelers May Suddenly Be Considering Benching Offensive Starter: "It Won't Be Long"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have always been known to be a team that wants to win in the trenches. Unfortunately, after a Week 1 victory over the New York Jets, those areas were seriously exposed. Both the offensive and defensive lines displayed that there is still a lot of work to be done for both sides of the ball. Perhaps the most concerning trends were the inability to run the ball on offense, and stop it on defense. These are not areas that the coaching staff wants to see the groups struggling in, so adjustments need to be made sooner rather than later.

The offensive line as a whole did not play a great game in New York. The main reason for putting up 34 points was an incredible outing from veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Still, the signal-caller was sacked four times, with three of those being charged to former first-round pick Broderick Jones. The lineman finally is set to be a full-time left tackle, but he looked very bad in Week 1.

In a fan chat on Tuesday, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ray Fittipaldo was asked plenty of questions regarding the status of Jones. One week is too small of a sample size to decide that he shouldn't be starting at left tackle, but the journalist made it clear that if his poor play continues, Jones will find himself on the bench in a timely manner.

"If he continues to play like that, it won't be long," Fittipaldo wrote.

Rodgers is no spring chicken, so having to run all over the pocket to buy time won't be ideal for the Steelers' offense. While a lot of folks want to criticize the rushing attack after a 1-0 start, Jones' pass protection was arguably the most unfortunate development of the entire game. Fittipaldo explained a little bit as to why the third-year player struggles.

"I'm not sure Jones can ever be an effective starter in this league," Fittipaldo noted. "I just see more of the same issues with his technique or lack thereof. Despite his size, he gets pushed back into the laps of QBs because he doesn't know how to use his hands. It's Year 3, and he's playing with his hands at his side and winding up, rather than having them six inches from his chest and ready to punch at all times."

That analysis is concerning in and of itself. Jones was supposed to be a cornerstone tackle for the Steelers, but he might end up being benched before the 2025 campaign is over. This would set the fan base into a little bit of a spiral because the front office traded up in the 2023 NFL Draft to take Jones.

Pittsburgh cannot afford to struggle in the run game if it wants to be a legitimate playoff contender. Tiring opposing defenses out and dominating the line of scrimmage late in the season is pivotal to having a chance at making a postseason run. Additionally, Rodgers cannot be running for his life inside the pocket at 41 years of age. Jones still has time to get his feet wet on the left side, but maybe a lot less than originally thought because of his woeful play against the Jets.

Steelers Have A Few Options If Jones Is In Fact Benched

Both Calvin Anderson and Andrus Peat could work it at left tackle if Jones continues to perform poorly for the offense. Another option would be to move one of those individuals to right tackle, while putting second-year lineman Troy Fautanu over at left tackle. Regardless, the team has options if the decision is made that Jones is incapable of keeping Rodgers upright. Allowing three sacks in Week 1 is both unacceptable and not what was expected of Jones.

Do you think that the Steelers will bench Jones sooner rather than later if he continues to perform so poorly? Let us know in the comments below!

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