The spotlight might be on QB Aaron Rodgers but the pressure is on OT Broderick Jones. Entering his third NFL season and coming off a difficult second year, Jones is the man in charge of protecting Rodgers’ blindside. Flipping back to left tackle after Dan Moore Jr.’s departure to Tennessee, Jones must prove he’s the player Pittsburgh hoped he’d be after trading up for him in the 2023 NFL Draft. For offensive line coach Pat Meyer, the tools are there for Jones. He just has to show it on every snap.
“Just being more consistent,” Meyer told reporters Wednesday via team-issued audio when asked where Jones can improve most. “Some of the flashes of where we know he’s gonna get to. Just being more consistent in that. He’s been working at it.”
On the bench the first half of his rookie season, Jones cracked the lineup midway through 2023 after Chukwuma Okorafor was benched. That slotted Jones on the right side after playing left tackle throughout his college career. It’s where Jones remained in 2024, his spot cemented following Troy Fautanu’s September knee injury that ended his season. Jones struggled throughout the year. Health, penalties, and technique were all problems.
Now, Jones is back to the side he prefers. Just as importantly, he’s next to a veteran, too, in left guard Isaac Seumalo.
“Moving him back over to Isaac now, next to a seasoned vet like that. I know he’s been talking to him and helping him,” Meyer said. “Not that the other guys weren’t, but it’s just, it’s a little bit different for him flipping back.”
Last year, Broderick Jones spent most of the season working with rookie Mason McCormick, who replaced injured veteran James Daniels. Jones often seemed frustrated by the youth around him, even having repeated animated post-snap conversations with Zach Frazier. With Jones and the offensive line another year older and wiser and led by a veteran like Seumalo, Jones has the foundation to improve.
Still, Jones has to handle his own business. Snap in and snap out.
“Just consistency,” Meyer said of Jones’ mission. “Just working on consistency every day. Coming out, right mindset, practicing the right way, which has been great. And just continuing to learn and continuing to grow in his third year. Now he’s gotta be a big year for him. We all know that. He knows that.”
Jones showed up 15-20 pounds lighter than a year ago, making him more agile to fit in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s perimeter-run offense. It’s a promising start.
The Steelers aren’t running from high expectations. If Jones plays well, he’ll confidently enter 2026 as the team’s left tackle and possibly earn a payday. If not, the team will decline his fifth-year option and start searching for his replacement.
