The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent the last two or three offseasons revamping their offensive line with significant investments in free agency and the draft. To this point, that investment hasn’t translated into success on the field, but there is optimism for the 2025 season with the young pieces jelling.
Former Steelers OL Trai Essex discussed the direction of the OL and his thoughts on Broderick Jones Tuesday [via 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIyR2lYVmhw&ab_channel=93.7TheFan).
“Everybody’s been calling for it, everybody’s been saying it’s been coaching malpractice putting him on the right side, but he’s a professional athlete. I’ve always been a big advocate of you gotta get in where you fit in, and if right tackle was where they wanted you to be at, then you should have been thriving at that position,” Essex said of Broderick Jones’ [impending move to the left side](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/safe-assumption-broderick-jones-will-be-left-tackle-going-into-2025-season-says-omar-khan/#:~:text='Safe%20Assumption'%20Broderick%20Jones%20Will,Says%20Omar%20Khan%20%2D%20Steelers%20Depot). “Left tackle, it’s gonna be a transition. It’s been three years since he’s played that position, and it’s a whole different ball game. He has to do it or else he may be looking for a new place next year.”
Jones was drafted to play left tackle. The issue was that Dan Moore Jr. was only comfortable on the left side, and he happened to be their best tackle over the last couple seasons. Jones had limited experience to begin with coming out of college, but that all came on the left side. This past season, his total amount of experience at right tackle surpassed his college experience on the left.
Like Essex, I have my concerns about Jones magically getting better once he’s on the left. Many of his issues last season were related to his inability to land his punches in the right location or time them correctly.
“I think we have a pretty good idea what to expect from that group, and I think it’s positive. I think we’re trending in the right direction with those four guys. Now, Broderick is a big question mark,” Essex said. “It’s never been a physical problem with him, it’s always been above the shoulders with him.”
There were too many instances last season of big plays being wiped out by a Jones penalty. Those can’t happen for an offense that is already struggling to get things going.
If Aaron Rodgers decides to come to Pittsburgh, Jones will have quite the task ahead of him. For one, he will be on the left side going against elite pass rushers like Myles Garrett and maybe Trey Hendrickson four times per season. But Rodgers has much less mobility than Justin Fields or even Russell Wilson.
I don’t think a poor year would cause the Steelers to move on from Jones, but it would likely result in them declining his fifth-year option next offseason. He could definitely find himself out of a starting job next season if 2025 goes similarly to 2024.