Steelers’ Broderick Jones Injury Opens Door For Unexpected Roster Battle

The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 offseason has come to a bit of a halt, despite the chaotic nature of the start of it. Head Coach Mike McCarthy and his staff have had the chance to conduct rookie minicamp and Organized Team Activities, and now have their sights set on Latrobe, Pennsylvania in late July for the start of 2026 Training Camp. The staff has had the chance to evaluate not only new players, but also how well they mesh with a lot of players returning from last year. 

One returning player that did not see any playing time last season can definitely provide valuable depth in 2026. It has been well noted that the status of offensive lineman Broderick Jones is up in the air as the 2026 season approaches. In a recent story on TribLive, Chris Harlan mentioned that veteran Jack Driscoll can add some much-needed depth up front on offense for the upcoming year. Driscoll spent much of the 2025 season on the practice squad with Pittsburgh and never saw any playing time despite a late-December promotion to the active roster. 

"[Jack] Driscoll spent parts of the 2024 and '25 seasons on practice squads," Harlan wrote. "That remains an option again this year for Driscoll, but Broderick Jones’ neck injury could open the door for him or another offensive tackle to start the season on the active roster. Jones is still recovering from surgery, leaving the Steelers somewhat thin at the position behind Troy Fautanu, Dylan Cook and first-round draft pick Max Iheanachor. Driscoll and Lorenzo Thompson, who has no regular-season experience, are the only other tackles on the current roster." 

Dylan Cook took over Jones' spot last season and became a very reliable fill-in starter for the Black and Gold in his time. Driscoll spent five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before Pittsburgh signed him last season. He was also part of a Philadelphia Super Bowl win during his time with the franchise. As noted, Max Iheanachor and Lorenzo Thompson are the two additional options at tackle with Cook and Troy Fautanu, but the lack of experience is a bit concerning, especially with 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers. 

For an offensive line that is relatively young and does not have a ton of experience, it opens up the chance for Driscoll to help stabilize things with his NFL experience. The organization did a great job this offseason of adding playmakers at skill positions, but the offensive line will need to withstand pressure to allow Rodgers to get the ball out to his new targets. This is where things come into play for Driscoll for a potential revitalization of his career.

Steelers' Offensive Line Will Be Crucial In Turnaround

Pittsburgh struggled in some areas offensively during the 2025 season, especially as they saw themselves finish 25th overall in total offense. That is what makes the offseason moves to add playmakers like Michael Pittman Jr. and Rico Dowdle quickly feel more deliberate and as if the front office had a big sense of urgency. Now the offensive line will need to do their part, as Rodgers looks to orchestrate a turnaround season.

For Driscoll, the Super Bowl experience alone should provide some excitement in terms of depth at the position. While he saw a relegation in his career from sitting on the practice squad, he did get elevated to the the active roster for a reason, despite not seeing any playing time. All it takes is a few unfortunate injuries at a position and teams can start to press the panic button.

However, Pittsburgh does not have to press that panic button, especially given the five years of experience for the former Auburn offensive lineman. This would give the Steelers an insurance policy on the offensive line and prevent panic from ensuing. For a team that struggled on offense a lot at times in 2025, stability on the offensive line will be pivotal in turning that around in 2026.

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