14th overall draft pick Broderick Jones got just his second career start on Sunday in lieu of the benched right tackle Chuks Okorafor. His first start came versus the Baltimore Ravens on the left side for the injured Dan Moore. In Okorafor’s case, he was benched for something he said during the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Once Moore was healthy, Jones reverted to his backup role. If Okorafor’s benching was merely a one-time punishment, he could be back in the lineup for the Green Bay Packers matchup.
But given how well Jones has played at both spots, would relegating him to reserves be the right move?
Jones is in the dark about whether he’ll start this week but is playing it like it’s all good either way. “I’m just always ready when my name is called,” he told Steelers media after beating the Tennessee Titans. “The boss tell you to do something, you do it. If push come to shove, I have to come back to it and do it again. I’m looking forward to it.”
There’ll be some noise from the fanbase if Mike Tomlin keeps Jones out of the starting lineup. He helped the unit play at a higher level, given Pittsburgh had its best ground production all year and Kenny Pickett wasn’t sacked for the first time since 2022.
As he did with Joey Porter Jr. last week, Tomlin could very well name Jones the starter at his press conference today. It’s also possible he doesn’t tip his hand to Green Bay.
There’s a method to Tomlin’s madness. For as long as he’s head coach, what he says goes. Steelers fans just need to trust that he will make the right call. But if he doesn’t start Jones, he’ll be stunting the growth of his offensive line.
