Sunday was not a great day to be Broderick Jones.
Back at left tackle and facing the New York Jets in the 2025 season opener, Jones struggled to protect Aaron Rodgers. Per PFF charting, Jones allowed three sacks, four pressures, and put Rodgers in harm’s way on multiple occasions, some of which resulted in Rodgers taking a big hit.
Tuesday wasn’t a great day for Jones either. At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Mike Tomlin called on Jones to step up.
“Certainly, he can be better,” Tomlin said.
“All of our performances could be better. Our quarterback got hit too much, and he was a component of that.”
Jones’ struggles didn’t keep Rodgers from completing 73.3% of his passes and throwing an NFL-best four touchdowns on Sunday, but it will certainly become a bigger problem if allowed to continue. Rodgers is the most important player on the Steelers’ roster, and it is paramount that the offensive line keeps him upright throughout the season. Rodgers was sacked 40 times with the Jets last year, which was a huge part of New York’s offensive struggles.
Despite his shaky Week 1 performance, Tomlin isn’t worried about Jones losing confidence.
“You don’t get to the National Football League by being fragile emotionally,” Tomlin said. “There are a lot of confident guys that I’ve worked with. You win some battles, you lose some battles. You come back fighting. That’s just the nature of the men that play this game at this level.”
The Steelers moved Jones back to his natural position on the left side this summer. During Jones’ first two seasons in the league, Pittsburgh opted to keep Dan Moore at left tackle, where the veteran was more comfortable. That meant playing their 2023 first-round pick — whom they traded up to select — on the right side. Jones’ struggles there have been well-documented. This summer, Jones experienced an up-and-down training camp, but played well enough during three preseason appearances to generate some optimism.
But after another game filled with mistakes, Jones’ play is once again under scrutiny.
The Steelers host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Jones will contend with Leonard Williams, Demarcus Lawrence, and Boye Mafe as he attempts to keep Rodgers from another four-sack day.
