Neck surgery casts doubt on Broderick Jones' readiness for Pittsburgh Steelers training camp.
The start of training camp is nearly five months away, but that might not give Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones enough time to be ready when drills begin in Latrobe, Pa.
Jones played 11 games in 2025 before missing the remainder of the season because of neck surgery. When asked about Jones’ status for training camp, general manager Omar Khan did not have a definitive answer earlier this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“It's a good question,” Khan said. “Obviously, he had a significant injury. We're monitoring how he progresses. I know he's working hard. It's still early in the process, but that's certainly something that we're monitoring.”
Jones has been a disappointment since the Steelers selected him with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft, following a standout career at the University of Georgia.
Pro Football Focus gave Jones a grade of just 57.7 last season when Pittsburgh won the AFC North title for the first time since 2020. Jones ranked 67th among the 84 NFL offensive tackles who played enough snaps to be eligible for grades.
Jones was 62nd among 81 tackles as a rookie and 65th out of 82 in 2024. Jones will be in the final year of his rookie contract next season, and it seems doubtful the Steelers will sign him to an extension.
Practice squad veteran Dylan Cook replaced Jones and started the final four games of the regular season and Pittsburgh’s loss to the Houston Texans in an AFC wild-card playoff game. After four seasons on the P-squads of the Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cook finally made his NFL debut and shone.
PFF’s grade for Cook was 77.4, the 20th-best mark among offensive tackles. That was also the top grade for any Pittsburgh offensive lineman, ahead of center Zach Frazier’s 73.8.
"Dylan did a really good job for us when he had to come in, he really did," Khan said. "I wasn't surprised because I've seen his work ethic and how important it is to him. He's a good player, and he stepped in and played at a good level."
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