Broderick Jones is the kind of name that could start popping up once training camp chatter really takes over the NFL calendar. For the Steelers, the former first-round pick is suddenly in an awkward spot: injured, no longer locked into a starting job, and no longer looking like a sure part of Pittsburgh’s long-term plan.
Jones is still working back from neck surgery, and there’s no clear timetable for when he’ll be fully healthy again. During OTAs and minicamp, he was limited to stretching and light work.
That matters, because any trade talk around him is going to hinge on whether he can get back on the field and practice in full once camp opens. If he can’t suit up and work in pads, teams around the league probably won’t bite.
Even if he does get healthy, the Steelers are unlikely to get a big return. Jones has not been consistent enough to build much market value, and that reality is part of the conversation here. Still, there is some appeal: he’s young, he has 38 career starts, and he has experience on both sides of the offensive line.
The depth chart is not helping his case. Troy Fautanu appears set as the starting left tackle regardless of Jones’ status, which leaves Jones needing to win a battle at right tackle against Dylan Cook and Max Iheanachor. That’s a tough path back to a starting role, especially with a new coaching staff now in place.
If the Steelers do put him on the trade block, the most logical suitors would be contending teams that suddenly find themselves thin at either tackle spot before camp. Pittsburgh, though, shouldn’t expect anyone to pay premium value. The more realistic outcome may be that the Steelers hold onto Jones as insurance.
Still, with his progression in Pittsburgh seemingly stalled, it makes sense for the team to at least see what kind of interest is out there.
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