Steelers practice squad player turned starter just made himself a lot of money after season-ending injury to prized draft pick
It’s safe to say that the Steelers are happy with the play at LT.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were down to their fourth-string left tackle against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. Broderick Jones has been lost for the year with a stinger, and the two backups, Andrus Peat and Calvin Anderson, couldn’t play.
That meant former undrafted free agent, college QB, and long-time practice squad player Dylan Cook would make his first career start against the likes of Bradley Chubb and Chop Robinson. How did he do? Well, the numbers speak volumes.
Dylan Cook allows no one in the vicinity of Aaron Rodgers on Monday night
Zero sacks, zero QB hits, and zero pressures allowed. Cook pitched a shutout against a Miami Dolphins pass rush that features a Pro Bowler like Bradley Chubb and an ascending talent like Chop Robinson. What was even more impressive about the performance was that Cook did that with minimal help.
There wasn’t a ton of chip help from the tight ends or the backs. Arthur Smith didn’t have Aaron Rodgers rolling the pocket away from Cook either. He had the 27-year-old tackle in his first career start stand in the fire, and Cook proved ready on every single rep.
“I definitely thought it was above the line, but it was also our job to assist him schematically, and so, you know, both things happened, but he’s another example of a guy upholding the standard, and we’ve absorbed some attrition, to say the least, at that position, but he was a part of a winning effort tonight, and he’s deserving of congratulations for that,” said Mike Tomlin of Cook’s play after the game via the Steelers YouTube channel.
So the Steelers will have a big decision to make this offseason. Say what you want about Cook and his draft status, but Jones hasn’t had many games that Cook just had, and he’s a first-round pick that the Steelers traded up to select.
Between the stinger and his and up and down play the last three years, it would be surprising if the Steelers picked up his fifth-year option this spring, meaning Jones could be on the final year of his rookie deal in 2026.
Perhaps that means more opportunities for a player like Cook in the long run, but for now, the Steelers should be in no hurry to rush back anyone in front of him on the depth chart, given the way he played on Monday night.
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