Trimming fat from a beefy roster isn’t easy for NFL front offices. Especially when a former first-round pick is among players on the cusp of getting cut. Omar Khan and Pittsburgh Steelers executives must follow through with tough decisions. Even if it results in parting ways with tackle Broderick Jones. He struggled yet again in the Steelers' preseason loss to the Bills, putting him firmly on the roster bubble.
It’s a difficult choice. But honestly, the former college standout has left Pittsburgh with few options.
First-round selections are always placed under the microscope. Initially, this wasn’t an issue for Broderick Jones. A standout career at Georgia helped the 6'5" brick wall gain notoriety before entering the NFL Draft. In 2022, the former Bulldog earned an 84.9 PFF pass-block rating ($) and allowed only nine pressures on 470 snaps. His ability to protect the edge while dismantling incoming pass rushers was too good to pass up.
A trade with New England gave Pittsburgh the No. 14 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. It secured Jones’ services for several years while the Patriots cashed in on lockdown cornerback Christian Gonzalez. At the time, the heist received praise. But now, the transaction is a brutal reminder of what could’ve been.
Gonzales and the Patriots hit the ground running. Meanwhile, the Steelers failed to see an immediate return on investment. Sure, Jones’ rookie campaign was solid, but it didn’t yield the results the front office hoped for. The first-round pick started 11 games at right tackle, but he struggled in pass protection as he learned a new spot in the trenches.
It wasn't an ideal start, but his physical tools were still on display. Fans expected Jones to develop. Instead, the first-round stud slowly became Pittsburgh’s biggest headache.
The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot afford to prolong the Broderick Jones experiment during the 2026 season
It’s been an uphill climb waiting for Jones to reach full potential. Glimpses of greatness shown during his rookie campaign were eventually flushed out by numerous inconsistent performances. In 2024, Pittsburgh utilized its first-round workhorse more often. He earned more than 1,000 offensive snaps at right tackle. But the results were less than promising.
Redemption during the 2025 season did not fall in Jones’ favor. Fans and coaches expected the big man to rise to the occasion. Instead, he failed to meet expectations. A switch to left tackle didn’t help change the narrative. Jones allowed six sacks, 23 pressures, and six quarterback hits in roughly 630 snaps. A neck injury suffered in Week 11 sidelined the first-rounder for the remainder of the season.
Waiting on Jones to bloom into the pass protector the Steelers need has become an ineffective approach. Especially when the front office recently invested in another first-round tackle to complete the job. Sure, Max Iheanachor is a raw offensive lineman himself who needs plenty of developing. But drafting him with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft speaks volumes.
Iheanachor didn't look ready to step in as a starter in his first action of the preseason, but he is at the beginning of his development timeline. Jones, meanwhile, has already failed to become the player that fans were hoping for. Now, he may have to find a new franchise to take a chance on him.
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