It’s only been two games, but there are already things to be disappointed about with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are undefeated, so there’s not too much to complain about, but the play of Broderick Jones has been really disheartening. After being drafted in the first round in 2023, Jones was seen as a cornerstone of the offensive line. Now, he’s been benched, and questions abound over his future. Former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke doesn’t believe this is the end for Jones though.
“He’s trying to do things and his mind’s moving faster than his body can,” Hoke said Thursday via 93.7 The Fan. “He comes in [against the Denver Broncos], two of the first few runs, he misses his block, and his guy makes two tackles. He had those three penalties, and it was tough.
“I don’t think it was because of a lack of ability. This guy’s super talented. It’s just a guy who’s trying to figure things out. He’s trying to mature and grow.”
Hoke is correct that the Broncos game was a disaster for Jones. The Steelers weren’t doing him any favors by going with a strange rotation at right tackle, but when he got opportunities, he did not capitalize on them. He was getting beat up and making major errors on crucial plays. Due to that, he’s lost his starting spot to rookie Troy Fautanu.
However, Hoke is also right that Jones has all the ability in the world. Coming out of college, his talents were evident, but the biggest knock on him was how raw he looked. He would need time to develop, and it could be argued the Steelers have failed in that respect. It is unclear how much of that blame should be shared between them and Jones.
Hoke went on to explain why he believes Mike Tomlin is perfectly suited to help Jones.
“I think [Tomlin] does a good job with this. He’s got a really good bead on the players. He’s got a real bead on how to get guys motivated.”
That’s a good observation from Hoke. Tomlin has his flaws, but he is an excellent motivator. That’s part of why he’s never had a losing season. When his teams are down, he knows how to challenge them to rise to the occasion. He’ll probably try to do something similar with Jones.
At the moment, things don’t look great for Jones, but his story isn’t over yet. He’s only in his second season, and he could have an opportunity later in the season to prove his worth. He’ll just need to focus on bettering himself in the meantime.
Jones sounded like he was ready to work this summer, but so far, the results haven’t shown. With Fautanu having a nice debut, and Dan Moore Jr. continuing to look steady at left tackle, it might be a minute before he gets a chance to start again. However, he will be the team’s swing tackle, and if he buys into that role and succeeds, he could work his way back to being a starter. At this point, the ball is in his court.
