Steelers LT Broderick Jones
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Following a rough Week 1, Steelers LT Broderick Jones is under fire.
While the Pittsburgh Steelers did snag a win in Week 1, they didn’t make it easy on themselves. A key component in that unfortunate development was the performance of left tackle Broderick Jones.
In the aftermath of Sunday’s 34-32 triumph over the New York Jets, Jones is under fire.
On The 33rd Team’s “Check The Mic” podcast, Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson criticized the former first-round pick.
Steelers LT Broderick Jones Roasted Following Rough Season Debut
Monson, in particular, believes Jones will continue to be a problem for the Steelers. He cites plays like a near-interception for quarterback Aaron Rodgers as things that could come back to bite Pittsburgh if Jones doesn’t improve.
“That’s a concern, because that’s a repeatable play in terms of, look, Rodgers at his age… the thing he’s going to struggle with now is escapability,” Monson said. “No. 2, that was the last of a series of plays where Broderick Jones at left tackle just got his ass handed to him by Will McDonald.
“Broderick Jones is going to be a problem for this offense all the way through the season. That problem is going to produce plays like that, which is the one area where Rodgers, at his current 40-plus-year-old self, is not Aaron Rodgers. There aren’t a lot of areas of concern for the Steelers’ offense. The one area of concern is their left tackle is a turnstile, and Rodgers can’t have that at this point in his career.”
Rodgers managed to go 22-of-30 for 244 yards and 4 touchdowns despite the pressure. The future Hall of Fame man got sacked on four separate occasions. Advanced metrics didn’t like Jones’ outing much, either. According to Pro Football Focus, he surrendered three sacks and four pressures overall. He earned a measly 46.8 pass blocking grade on the afternoon.
Jones’ Progression Could Make or Break Pittsburgh’s Season
After spending last season at right tackle, the Steelers’ hope is Jones will soon improve back on the left side. Week 1 wasn’t a good start whatsoever.
The former Georgia standout was out of position due to Troy Fautanu‘s injury. The second-year man is now healthy and playing, enjoying a mixed bag of a 2025-26 debut. Spending back-to-back first-round picks on bookend pieces is nice in theory, but it does come with expected growing pains.
That’s what Pittsburgh is dealing with right now. The issue with that is Jones is nearing 2,000 snaps played in his career. He’s no longer the new kid on the block. He’s also playing one of football’s most valuable positions and protecting the franchise’s most valuable asset on that side of the ball. If Rodgers gets hurt, the Steelers won’t be reaching the heights they want to ascend to.
Upon returning from an Achilles rupture suffered in Week 1 of 2023, Rodgers’ mobility took a hit. He isn’t the escape artist he once was, even after looking better late in the 2024-25 campaign with the Jets. Rodgers can make quick decisions and release the ball from a variety of arm angles, but pressure makes him a new player. Sunday showcased some of that. To Monson’s point, it isn’t sustainable for success.
That necessitates Jones getting going fast. Perhaps matchups against the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots can help him get back on track.