How much time will Broderick Jones miss after being ruled out for the Bills game?
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin ruled out OT Broderick Jones on Tuesday for Sunday’s game. That begs the question, will he miss more time? Jones suffered a neck injury in the second half of the team’s last game when a defender left his feet and came down on him, striking his upper body.
Jones had played every snap of the season before the injury that he suffered against the Bears. While he has faced some criticism for his play during the year, he had been a stable presence. The general consensus is that he was consistently improving. This marks just the second injury of note for the Steelers’ offensive line this season, Isaac Seumalo previously missing time.
When the head coach announces on Tuesday that a player is going to miss next week’s game, that is often a cause for concern. That suggests a week-to-week injury, rather than day-to-day. The fact that Broderick Jones’ neck injury gives him zero chance to play on Sunday might mean he’ll have a hard time playing next week as well.
Even Aaron Rodgers, who suffered a fracture in his wrist, had a chance to play against the Bears. Neck injuries, of course, can be complicated, and Tomlin offered no clarity about Jones’. “He’ll be classified as out this week”, he all he said. “I’ll have more information for you the next time we get together, but certainly he’ll be classified as out this week”.
Another point worth noting is that Tomlin didn’t name a clear replacement for Jones. While it will likely be Calvin Anderson, he also threw Andrus Peat’s name out there. Now, was that more for the sake of competitive advantage, or will there be an actual competition? Especially along the offensive line, you want as much cohesion as you can manage before you take the field.
The Steelers’ offensive line had mostly been a strength in recent weeks. Being without Broderick Jones with his neck injury even for one game is a concern, but might he miss more?
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers isthe quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
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