The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans all saw how poorly offensive tackle Broderick Jones played throughout the two preseason games so far. The fact that he's even able to get back on the field after undergoing neck surgery in December is very impressive, but he clearly is not ready to run with the starters yet. He was making legitimate progress in 2025 before his season ended prematurely, and it looks like he will have to start from square one again based on his struggles in the exhibition contests so far.
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Steelers' Broderick Jones looks to block during a preseason win over the Green Bay Packers in 2026.
With how long it took for Jones to develop the technique required to be a mid-tier starter, it would make perfect sense if the Steelers decided that they no longer wanted to continue with this project and let him go. There have been rumors of the team wanting to keep all four quarterbacks, so someone would have to go to make room. The 2023 first-round pick could be that candidate.
However, that does not appear to be the case. In his latest Q&A chat, insider Ray Fittipaldo explained why the Steelers would want to keep Jones around throughout the season.
"I'm not sure Jones has played well enough to be on the 53-man roster, but there are several things at play," Fittipaldo said. "Most importantly, he's coming off a serious neck injury. It takes time to come back from that injury. And then there is the fact that he was Omar Khan's first-ever draft pick -- the No. 14 overall pick in the 2023 draft. I think they want to give him a chance to work things out, but man, he has been bad in the first two preseason games."
It's true that coming back from neck surgery takes a while. Jones reportedly lost a significant amount of weight during his recovery, so he definitely is not as big and strong as he usually is. He's trying to get back in shape while also re-learning everything he was taught from the previous few years. That is far from an easy task, and it would make many other people quit football.
The biggest question here is how long it would take. Jones will be a free agent after the upcoming 2026 season, and his future in Pittsburgh beyond 2026 is uncertain, especially with two of the last three first-round picks being offensive tackles. He clearly is not the same player he was in November of 2025, since he has also had issues at left tackle, which is his natural position.
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Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones (77) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
There has also been a lot of chatter about general manager Omar Khan having a special attachment to the first draft pick he ever made, and he even traded up to go get him. He's not ready to give up on Jones just yet whether it's time to do so or not. One thing that Khan has made very clear with his recent drafting decisions, however, is that the fourth-year offensive tackle is not the future.
Steelers May Rely On Jones For A Couple Of Reasons
First-round rookie Max Iheanachor is expected to start the season as a backup behind Dylan Cook. The problem here is that the 21st overall pick does not provide any sort of versatility, so he's seemingly stuck at right tackle. If Troy Fautanu were to go down, it may be easier for the Steelers to plug Jones at blindside blocker than make everyone switch sides again so Cook can play on the left side.
When Jones gets his size back, he could be the perfect swing tackle. The Steelers are not expected to run a lot of jumbo sets, but 2025 showed everyone just how effective it can be for Pittsburgh. If they really want to establish the run game, having the former 14th overall pick on the field as a sixth lineman could help open up some lanes.
What do you think about Jones likely making the 53-man roster despite his struggles? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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