Steelers are waiving the white flag with recent first-round pick following Sunday in Denver
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Broderick Jones to be a franchise LT. Yet, whatever the reason or excuse may be, Jones hasn't actually played LT in a meaningful game, sticking to the right side of the line since his rookie debut. So after a drive on Sunday that may be one of the worst you will […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Broderick Jones to be a franchise LT.
Yet, whatever the reason or excuse may be, Jones hasn't actually played LT in a meaningful game, sticking to the right side of the line since his rookie debut.
So after a drive on Sunday that may be one of the worst you will ever see by a lineman, the Jones experiment in Pittsburgh might be over:
At first, it looked like Broderick Jones had been benched agasint the Denver Broncos. After taking first-team reps at LT earlier in the week following an ankle injury to Dan Moore Jr., Jones was a surprise member on the bench with rookie Troy Fautnau getting the start at RT, as Moore returned to health.
And after two promising series from the rookie, the Steelers decided to rotate their tackles and let's just say it went terribly:
Jones was called for three penalties in just six plays. The first was a false start, with the other two being holding calls, including the above video that wiped out a 51-yard completion to George Pickens.
Pittsburgh is not free of blame in this situation. If your plan for a player, who comes out of college raw at his natural position, is to put him on the opposite side of the line, only muddying his footwork even further, then you have failed as a developer.
Penalties, technique with his upper body, questionable hand placement, none of those issues are due to his feet. But they all are the result of a loss of confidence and overthinking.
And who do you think contributed to those yips?
Oh yeah, the Steelers.
So where things go from here is unknown in terms of Jones' future.
It would be a shock to see him in the starting lineup again this season if both Dan Moore Jr. and Troy Fautnau are healthy.
Beyond that, Moore is in the final year of his rookie deal, and while he's had his struggles, including against the Broncos, Pittsburgh may be forced to decide between him and Jones, or draft another LT altogether in 2025.
