The Pittsburgh Steelers have had their fair share of adversity throughout the 2025 season when it comes to injuries. Key starters on both sides of the ball have missed games, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers. DeShon Elliott was lost for the season, while team captain Miles Killebrew suffered a serious knee injury earlier in the year as well. There have been plenty of other injuries that have occurred, including a neck injury to left tackle Broderick Jones. Jones was improving in play as the season went along, but he went down with a neck injury while playing the Chicago Bears and he has not seen the field since.
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Steelers' Broderick Jones walks out of the tunnel ahead of a road game against the Chicago Bears in 2025.
Jones' injury was not obvious at first during the game in Chicago. He was replaced and it was reported that he had suffered a neck injury, but there weren't many details provided about the issue. It was initially said to just be a stinger, and some reports made it seem like he would be able to return at some point during the 2025 season. That clearly was not true as he was eventually placed on season-ending injured reserve, and team insider Gerry Dulac provided some details during his mailbag for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday morning.
"Yes, he had neck surgery," Dulac wrote. "And whoever reported that he could return this year, once again, has no idea what they're talking about."
This was the first time that it was reported that Jones had to have surgery to repair whatever happened to his neck while playing against the Bears. That is obviously scary due to the fact that the neck is nothing to play around with when it comes to injuries. Players have suffered career-ending injuries to their neck, and hopefully that is not the case for Jones.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones lines up against the Cincinnati Bengals during a regular season game in the 2023 season.
The specifics about the exact injury are still unknown, but it had to be something fairly serious if surgery was required. This is poor timing for Jones as he was finally starting to improve and get used to playing left tackle in the NFL. That was the position he was initially drafted to play, but he was forced to play right tackle throughout his first two seasons in the league, which likely hindered his development. He began to make strides on the left side of the line, but the injury has forced him off of the field for the rest of the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh is going to have to decide on Jones' fifth-year option during the 2026 offseason, and it is hard to imagine the franchise is going to pick it up. The organization will likely allow him to play out his standard, four-year rookie deal, and if he shows improvement, he might earn a new deal in Pittsburgh.
Steelers May Already Have The Left Tackle Position Figured Out
Since Jones' injury, a couple different players have filled in at left tackle. The best so far has arguably been Dylan Cook, and he has been outstanding across several games. He was officially named the starter on the team's depth chart for Week 18, and he should be expected to compete for the starting role going into the 2026 season. He has earned praise from top analysts around the league, as well as the coaching staff, and players have spoken highly of him while talking with the media.
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Steelers offensive lineman Dylan Cook looks down at the playing surface as he walks around while the team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
It is always hard to see players potentially lose their jobs due to injury, but that might be the case for Jones. Maybe another position change is in store for him heading into the 2026 season, but first, the team is going to prioritize his health due to the potential severity of a neck injury.
What do you think about Jones' setback? Let us know in the comments below!
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