The Steelers have finally put OT Broderick Jones where they meant for him to play, and he feels the difference. He feels it—the mojo, to be more specific, according to Darnell Washington. Washington played with Jones together at Georgia in college, so he would know better than most.
“We talked about it before”, Washington told Amanda Godsey of Broderick Jones and his upcoming season. “He was just like, he’s kind of feeling his mojo how he did back then. I guess only time can tell, [but] I’m pretty sure he’s attacking this offseason similar to me”.
Darnell Washington played with Broderick Jones at Georgia before both were drafted by the Steelers in 2023. When asked if Jones looks more comfortable back at LT,
Washington: “He kind of feel his mojo how he did back then.” pic.twitter.com/w1AGSCSw6W
— Amanda Godsey (@AmandaFGodsey) June 3, 2025
By “back then”, he is referring to the time he and Jones had together in Georgia. The Steelers drafted the pair of them in the first and third rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, respectively. Both are key figures in their offense, but both entered this offseason looking for change.
Part of that change for both also included slimming down, Broderick Jones saying he has lost about 20 pounds. But that isn’t necessarily going to be his playing weight, emphasizing he is in a position to put on weight.
Equally important to feeling comfortable with where your body is, where you’re playing matters, too. At Georgia, Broderick Jones was a left tackle. While he played the good soldier rebuking any claims that he couldn’t play his best at right tackle, he seems genuinely rejuvenated by the move.
Of course, the feeling of rejuvenation could also be about the clarification of prior uncertainty. His first two seasons, Jones had to deal with Dan Moore Jr., entrenched at left tackle. He could never be sure when the Steelers might move him over.
Now, Broderick Jones enters an offensive knowing exactly when and where he will play, and why. He will play at left tackle, because that’s what the Steelers drafted him to do. Entering his third season, they finally have a plan in place for him aimed at maximizing his ability.
That’s reason enough to feel somewhat revivified, but money on the line never hurts, either. After this season, the Steelers have to make a decision on Jones’ fifth-year option. If he plays like a franchise left tackle, they likely exercise it. If not, then it’s just another layer of uncertainty for him.
But at least he is finally in the position he was literally drafted to play, and according to his good friend, that’s a good start for Jones this offseason. Whatever mojo he’s feeling, that needs to carry him into the future.
Broderick Jones is coming off a frustrating season that saw him temporarily benched, and reduced to a swing tackle role. It didn’t help that, throughout the offseason, he didn’t know for sure where he would play. It also didn’t help that he dealt with injuries all season, even if he downplayed them.
Some have suggested that Jones needed to be more professional in his career. Whether true or not, he seems to have done so this offseason. All of his teammates are noticing a difference in him, including Mason Rudolph and Zach Frazier.
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