As the Pittsburgh Steelers navigate the early grind of the 2025 season, one voice from the media world is already pointing fingers at what could become their biggest regret. On a recent episode of the Green Light with Chris Long podcast, the former NFL defensive end didn’t mince words about the Black and Gold’s offseason priorities. With Aaron Rodgers, now 42 and slinging it from the Steel City, the pressure is on and not just the kind coming from opposing pass rushers.
Long, who knows a thing or two about terrorizing quarterbacks, focused on Pittsburgh’s offensive line as the potential “Achilles heel” that the team might regret come January.
“I think the biggest Achilles heel that the Steelers are gonna look back on this season and say we had was, we spent all this money on defense. And we put a 42-year-old quarterback behind this offensive line,” Long said of the Steelers’ offensive line, according to audio via the podcast.Â
It’s a blunt assessment, but one that resonates after two weeks of football. Rodgers has been sacked seven times already, with three of those falling on the shoulders of left tackle Broderick Jones.
“We said coming into the season he would be a fish. And I don’t mean like a school kind of fish. I’m talking about like he’s just grabby and he’s a big, physical player, but he overextends and you can beat him fast,” Long said of Jones. “The irony is though, I looked at the top pressure rates that offensive tackles were giving up and his time to pressure was like way longer than the other guys on the list, which tells you that [Aaron] Rodgers is holding onto the ball a little bit longer because him and his receivers aren’t on the same page yet.”
Long’s critique was laser-focused on the tackle position, calling out Jones alongside a pair of struggling peers across the league.
Jones’s physical tools are undeniable, standing at 6 feet 5 inches and weighing 330 pounds. He’s a mauler in the run game when he’s on.
But his pass protection has been a different story.
Despite landing in the top three for raw pressure rates allowed, Jones’ time to pressure clocks in “way longer than the other guys on the list.” In plain English? It takes longer for rushers to get home on Jones compared to his struggling counterparts. What does that tell us?
Rodgers is holding onto the football a bit longer, making things harder for his offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Rodgers has an average Time To Throw of 2.64 seconds through two weeks. That seems like a long time, but it’s actually the third-quickest TTT in the NFL, tied with the likes of Russell Wilson and Trevor Lawrence.
The Steelers aren’t panicking yet. Rodgers’ poise masked some flaws in the opener. But Long’s warning echoes a broader concern. Pittsburgh’s line, projected as mid-tier in preseason rankings, has underdelivered so far. Jones, in particular, faces make-or-break scrutiny.
