2025 is a pivotal year for Pittsburgh Steelers OT Broderick Jones. But through three games, Jones has failed to show much improvement after a rough 2024 season. He’s continually been Pittsburgh’s worst offensive lineman. To put it in perspective, he’s the 81st-best offensive tackle (out of 101 qualifiers), per PFF’s grades. It’s not the performance the Steelers wanted to see in year three from their 2023 first-round pick. Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger had a lot of pointed criticism for Jones on the latest episode of his Footbahlin’ podcast.
“Broderick is, he’s so upright. And you can’t stand upright as a tackle, you’ve got to get low, because guys are just gonna get underneath you. James Harrison, what did he talk about? Leverage. James Harrison, if he was going up against Broderick Jones, he’d have 15 sacks a game…Broderick has to be better in protecting,” Roethlisberger said.
Roethlisberger mentioned that someone outside the organization has pointed out Jones’ consistent struggles to him.
“I got word from someone outside the organization, not inside the organization, that watches the All-22, there’s not just these ones, there’s a majority of plays where it’s just not good enough. I assume Tomlin’s addressing it, maybe it goes to the O-line coach, I don’t know him, I don’t know what he’s doing, but at some point, there needs to be some accountability from that left tackle.”
After two years on the right side, the Steelers moved Jones to his collegiate position, left tackle. The team had a poor plan for him and deserves some blame, but he has continually failed to perform adequately. He was a mess in Week 1, allowing three sacks, and he allowed another in Week 2. The Steelers’ offensive line played better and graded out well as a unit in Week 3. But Jones still allowed two quarterback hits and struggled to win his reps.
His hand usage has been a consistent problem, and Roethlisberger’s biggest issue with his technique is standing up too much. That allows EDGE rushers to duck underneath or fly around him. In fact, his technique issues have been a problem throughout his young career. The fact that it hasn’t gotten noticeably better this season is problematic. His early-season struggles are amplified with a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers under center. Rodgers has shown he can still move to avoid sacks, but his mobility is nowhere near where it once was. Defenders have hit him too often, a poor sign considering his age.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers replace Jones this offseason. While there’s plenty of time left for him to improve this season, hope is dwindling for him to be an effective starter at offensive tackle. Roethlisberger is just the latest of many to point out Jones’ weaknesses, and there’s no question his performance has to turn around quickly.
