Pittsburgh Steelers OL Broderick Jones struggled in Week 1 against the New York Jets and was responsible for multiple sacks. Jones’ performance was a key talking point heading into the season after a rough 2023, and while Jones wasn’t at his best in Week 1, QB Aaron Rodgers isn’t worried about him going forward.
“I really like [Jones]. Got to know him during training camp, like what he’s about, like his attitude, he’s a genuinely positively guy. Got a lot of confidence in him watching my back,” Rodgers said Wednesday via 93.7 The Fan on Twitter.
There’s no question that Jones has to improve. He moved back to his natural left tackle position after primarily playing right tackle his first two NFL seasons, and the hope was that Jones’ performance would improve. Week 1 was not an indicator that he will be better, but Jones knows he has to improve and it’s at least a good sign he has the full support of Rodgers.
There were questions about whether Rodgers would be prone to throwing teammates under the bus, but his full-fledged support of Jones after an undeniably rough Week 1 performance is a good sign for him as a leader and a teammate in Pittsburgh.
Jones will have an opportunity to bounce back on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, but if he doesn’t improve quickly, the Steelers could look to replace him. Last season, Jones wasn’t entirely bad, more up and down throughout the season. If he can bounce back and be more consistent, then the Steelers’ offensive line should be just fine. But it’s a real question of whether he has it in him to be that bookend tackle the Steelers envisioned when they drafted him in the first round.
So much of football is mental though, and having the backing of Rodgers and his coaches could help Jones develop the confidence he’ll need to get back on track. He knows more than anyone that he has to go out and prove he can be the player that the Steelers need him to be, and having his teammates publicly support him should hopefully help that to happen.
The Steelers and Mike Tomlin won’t be reactionary even if Jones struggles again on Sunday, but his leash is getting shorter. He can prove Rodgers’ confidence isn’t misplaced and quiet some of his doubters with a strong game this weekend, and the Steelers will be banking on one.
