Since leaving the field in November of the 2025 season with a scary neck injury, Pittsburgh Steelers fans have wondered about Broderick Jones' health and availability for the 2026 season. Jones had to have spinal fusion surgery, and his projected recovery timetable could have seen him missing action early in the 2026 season.
Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., who signed with the Steelers halfway through the season last year, had a similar surgery. He played just four games in 2024 and missed the first half of the 2025 season. Essentially, Samuel was out of game action for more than a full calendar year.
Thankfully, we just saw our first encouraging sign with Jones.
On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers' official X account posted a 22-second hype video of Phase One of offseason workouts. Jones was spotted in the video, backpedaling during on-field warm-ups.
While we can't glean any precise medical information from this, it's an encouraging sign to see that Jones is at the training facility from the very first phase of the offseason. Not only that, but offensive tackle is at least participating in some on-field warm-ups.
Broderick Jones' progress could shift the Pittsburgh Steelers' draft focus
This Jones sighting could mean that the 2023 first-round pick is further along in his recovery process than anticipated. And while we don't want to read too heavily into it, it might suggest that the Steelers expect Broderick Jones to be ready for the start of the season.
This couldn't have come at a better time.
With the NFL Draft just two weeks away, taking an offensive tackle as early as pick No. 21 in the first round wasn't out of the question, and perhaps it's still not. However, Jones was the first draft pick of the Omar Khan and Andy Weidl era, and they will likely give the athletic OT one more shot to prove himself at left tackle in 2026.
Jones was one of the rawest players in an underwhelming 2023 draft, so we knew it would take some time to develop. After shuffling from left tackle to right tackle, then back to left tackle, many believe Jones' development was stunted by where former head coach Mike Tomlin asked him to play.
The Steelers have to decide on a fifth-year option for Jones by May, and given that he's coming off a major neck injury and that his performance has been up and down, it's likely the team won't pick up his fifth year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could still use a long-term left tackle if they know Broderick Jones isn't 'the guy'. But at the very least, it's an encouraging sign seeing him on the field with his teammates in Phase One of offseason workouts, and it could give the Steelers some flexibility to ignore offensive tackle early in the 2026 NFL Draft.