The Pittsburgh Steelers have invested heavily in their offensive line over the past four seasons. They have used two first-round picks (Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu), a second-round pick (Zach Frazier), a fourth-round pick (Mason McCormick), and a three-year, $24 million contract (Isaac Seumalo) to build their starting offensive line from a year ago, but things may look different in 2026.
Seumalo's contract expires this offseason, and Jones has struggled with consistency throughout his young career. He also suffered a neck injury last season that kept him out for the back third of the Steelers' season, allowing Dylan Cook to thrive in his absence.
Considering how much draft capital they have already sunk into the current group, Pittsburgh may want to look for cheap, veteran additions to provide competition. One player stands out as a potential buy-low candidate that could reemerge if given a chance.
Braxton Jones started his career with the Bears in 2022 as a late-round pick out of Southern Utah, but quickly emerged as their starting left tackle, starting all 17 games as a rookie. He performed well, and he was the primary starter in 2023 and 2024. Injuries caused him to miss 11 games over those two years, however, and he missed another 11 in 2025. His health issues could make the Bears move on from him, and it could make him a cheap option for a team like Pittsburgh.
Braxton Jones is the perfect veteran to add competition to the Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle spot
Jones injury history could turn off a lot of teams, but the Steelers have no reason not to take a flyer on him. With Broderick coming off his own injury and Cook still largely unproven, they are already facing a potential hole at the left tackle spot. Adding Jones to the mix will only help bring the most out of the others, and only one needs to look good and stay healthy.
Pro Football Focus currently projects Jones to sign a one-year, $5 million contract in free agency. That is chump change for a potential above-average starting tackle, which is exactly what he was in Chicago. Just a year ago, Steelers fans watched as Dan Moore Jr. signed a deal with the Titans that was worth four times as much per season, and Jones is the better player when healthy.
Sure, the Steelers could use another high draft pick to address the position or go after someone with less injury concerns (like Packers LT Rasheed Walker). But that would just be using even more assets than they already have on the group.
With Aaron Rodgers seeming likely to return in 2026, however, perhaps it would be worth it to go harder at finding the best possible solution. Pittsburgh's line played very well overall in 2025, and it still wasn't always enough thanks to Rodgers' declining athleticism.
Still, Jones is a quality pass protector who could easily bounceback after back-to-back injury-hampered seasons. For the price he is projecting to cost, it feels like a no-brainer.