The Pittsburgh Steelers are not getting the Broderick Jones this season they hoped they would. At least, they are not seeing him consistently, and there is any number of reasons for that. He certainly shows what he can be from time to time and, on the whole, has played better since the bye week.
“He’s still young. I think he’s still very much raw, to a degree. I think there are still some things that he has to work through”, Ray Fittipaldo said of Broderick Jones on 93.7 The Fan. “But I think what we’ve seen over probably the last three or four games is much better than what we saw in that first half of the season”.
Minus the game against the Baltimore Ravens, during which he was called for three penalties and allowed a sack, Jones has done better since the bye week. You might not see that from play to play, but he also shows a different demeanor.
A first-round pick in 2023, Broderick Jones has been a starter for much of his career. This is in spite of his lack of experience at the college level, which has been evident over his first two seasons. Uncertainty over where he would play and a number of injuries also impeded his progress this offseason. Regardless of the why, he appears to be playing with more confidence and energy.
“The thing I like about Broderick [Jones] is he plays hard, and he plays with an edge. Sometimes that can get him into trouble”, Fittipaldo said, “but I would rather have a guy like that, a guy who was hungry and wants to get better, than a guy who doesn’t have that type of a personality”.
Despite his youth, Jones already carries himself like a leader. He took it upon himself to address George Pickens, for example, after each of his penalties last game. While he might not be everything the team envisions him to be just yet, he still has plenty of time on his side.
“There are gonna be instances where [Jones] does make a mistake or two”, Fittipaldo said. “But he’s got everything. He’s got the size, he’s got the demeanor, he’s got everything you want to be a really good tackle in this league. And I think if people can just be patient with him, I think his time’s gonna come”.
Early in the season, however, the Steelers were prepared to put him on the bench. In Week 2, they started rookie Troy Fautanu, another first-round pick, over him. They planned to rotate Jones in, but a rapid series of penalties put the kibosh on that. He only regained his starting job because Fautanu injured his knee the following week in practice.
Still, the Steelers’ ultimate vision for Broderick Jones is a franchise left tackle. Up to this point, he hasn’t shown he will be that. He has the talent and everything else to achieve that, but until he puts it together, it’s a question mark. And with Dan Moore Jr. hitting free agency in March, the Steelers may have no choice but to answer that question.
