What will Broderick Jones’ “rebound” look like?
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday that T Broderick Jones will have the opportunity to rebound…but how? He did go into any details, so we can only guess as to what that means. The only thing we seem to know is that he will continue to dress because they need him. Even if he is not starting, he is their swing tackle, the next man up on either side.
In other words, the Steelers are not going to just sit Broderick Jones down for the next few weeks. They need him in uniform on Sundays but are they going to ask him to do anything? Though they started Troy Fautanu over him this past Sunday, they planned to rotate him in at right tackle. His poor performance forced the Steelers to pivot off that plan, but this is a new week.
There are a few options that the Steelers could be considering, which we shall discuss, and which fall into three categories. The first option is to simply let him sit and do nothing unless he has to play due to injury. That is what the vast majority of swing tackles do anyway, which is now Broderick Jones’ role. It’s what Fautanu did in the first game of the season.
The other two categories do get him on the field, but in different capacities. The Steelers could continue to rotate Jones in, but they can approach it different ways. They could continue to rotate him at right tackle with Fautanu; or they can rotate him at left tackle. Dan Moore Jr. wouldn’t be thrilled about it but, nevertheless. The other option is to let him rotate in on both the left and the right side. I suspect this category isn’t going to receive a lot of positive consideration from fans though.
Finally, the Steelers could use Broderick Jones as a tackle-eligible blocking tight end, something they have a history of doing. He did do a very little bit of that during his rookie season before he entered the starting lineup. This path allows him to stay engaged while retaining the cohesion of the line. Along the way, Jones could begin to repair his confidence. I personally think this is the way they should go as he practices at left (and right) tackle. What they will actually do? It’s anyone’s guess.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
