If there is one player around the NFL who would love to wipe their Week 2 performance from memory, it's Broderick Jones. After a sluggish Week 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle started his second game of 2024 on the bench but was given a shot by head coach Mike Tomlin to prove himself.
It didn't go well. On his lone offensive series at right tackle, Jones missed assignments and was tagged with three penalties -- one of which wiped away a 51-yard play for the offense.
Jones looked lost at times and his sloppy play resulted in colossal missed opportunities for quarterback Justin Fields and the offense. He was pulled from the game after just 11 snaps.
When the offensive tackle spoke to the media this week, he owned the blame and admitted his play wasn't good enough. It looked as if Jones was destined to watch from the sidelines moving forward. That was before an unforeseen injury occurred at practice.
On Friday, 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu 'tweaked something', which allowed Jones to once again work with the first-team offensive line at right tackle, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
Broderick Jones said rookie RT Troy Fautanu tweaked something today, gave him an opportunity to work with the first team OL at right tackle.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 20, 2024
Jones said they don’t know Fautanu’s status for Sunday, but he’s ready if he needs to start.
Fautanu has been dealing with a knee injury since early in training camp, and the latest news is a setback for his development and the Steelers in Week 3. The severity of Fautanu's injury is unclear, but Jones could get the start on Sunday against the LA Chargers if the rookie isn't healthy enough to go.
Broderick Jones cannot squander a big opportunity in Week 3
From the start of the summer until now, Steelers fans have had every reason to be disappointed in both Broderick Jones and Mike Tomlin. Pittsburgh could have been playing him at left tackle all along (his natural position) but chose to have Jones take the vast majority of his reps at right tackle.
The results have been downright brutal. During the preseason, Jones had an embarrassing performance against Bills edge rusher Greg Rousseau, and his performance to open the season hasn't been much better (thanks to a hat trick of penalties in limited action).
If Jones is given a shot at redemption in Week 3, he can't let it go to waste.
Broderick has all the tools to succeed; there's no question about that. At 6'5 3/8'' with long arms and impressive athletic traits, we thought he had the makings of a prototype offensive tackle in the NFL. Unfortunately, Jones has shown very little improvement from his rookie season until now.
If Tomlin calls upon his 2023 first-round pick this week, Jones needs to answer in a way the team has yet to see from him. Broderick will need to play flawless football -- showing the ability to mirror talented Chargers pass rushers and pave paths for Steelers running backs on the ground.
Anything short of this would result in the young offensive tackle watching from the sidelines in Week 4.
There's no question that Broderick Jones is incredibly raw and has a long way to go. But if Troy Fautanu can't go this week, Jones needs to give the Pittsburgh Steelers the performance of a lifetime at right tackle against the LA Chargers on Sunday.