The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready to put the pedal to the metal as 2026 training camp begins on Wednesday. Head Coach Mike McCarthy is expected to operate in a much different way than Mike Tomlin did for the last 19 seasons. There is a fresh point of view leading the way, and an offensive-minded individual will be running the show. Fans in the Steel City are hoping that the side of the ball that McCarthy specializes in turns into a juggernaut. The defense should be able to do enough to help win games as long as enough points are being put up on the scoreboard.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy stands in front of the media to answer questions as the team goes through 2026 mandatory minicamp workouts in Pittsburgh, PA.
An area that has to start getting a little bit more attention is the offensive line. There has been a ton of reshuffling going on, which included Troy Fautanu moving to left tackle and his partner-in-crime, Mason McCormick, following him to be next to him on the left at guard. That left plenty of questions on the right side, especially after Max Iheanachor was selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Adding even more intrigue to the situation, three-year starter Broderick Jones did not land on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, which means he will be able to practice despite undergoing surgery after a scary neck injury in 2025. How much he is able to do remains to be seen, but, regardless, the update from the franchise was a very positive one.
Now, Jones, Iheanachor and Dylan Cook could all be in the mix when it comes to the starting right tackle spot. Competition is never a bad thing; however, this presents a little bit of a challenge for the new coaching staff. There will be three guys all vying for reps to prove that they are worth being named the first-stringer. That is, if Jones is fully prepared to go.
Speaking on the latest episode of Steelers Collective, beat writer Ray Fittipaldo went into detail about how the news coming out about Jones could actually be a bad thing for the Steelers. The organization never seemed to believe that the former first-round pick would be available so soon, and now there will be decisions to make in the coming weeks.
"I think it actually complicates things," Fittipaldo stated. "I think in the spring, they were kind of operating under the premise that Broderick wasn't going to be ready, and now Troy Fautanu is your starting left tackle. So now basically, what, you are going to do a three-way battle at right tackle?"
There is always the possibility that Jones isn't fully prepared to work out in a full capacity. That would leave the door wide open for Cook and Iheanachor. If, for whatever reason, Jones is further along than anyone realizes, it could get even more murky. McCarthy and co. will have to have some serious discussions about who gets the reps and why.
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Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones (#77) walks on the field at St. Vincent College as the team practices during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
The situation will start to sort itself out almost right away. If fans are watching Jones off to the side and barely doing any legitimate work with the offense, it can be expected that he is still trying to get back to being his true self. In that scenario, the best case would be the lineman getting some preseason work in at some point so the Steelers could hypothetically shop him on the trade market.
Players that are on PUP can't really do anything as far as team activities. So, Jones avoiding that could simply be because he is far enough along in his recovery and the franchise wants him to continue getting back to normal. Regardless, this development is something to pay attention to because three guys could be in the mix at right tackle.
Steelers Could Also Potentially Consider Trading Cook
If Jones proves to be ready to go sooner rather than later, Cook has enough tape from 2025 to warrant a trade discussion. He wouldn't bring in much of a return, but draft capital in 2027 is expected to be very important and valuable. One of Jones or Cook could possibly be on a new team as soon as September depending on how things progress in August.
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