Steelers' Mike Tomlin Waiting To See Exactly Where Broderick Jones Will Play

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the season with questions across the offensive line. Can Spencer Anderson hold his own as he makes his first career start, as well as playing his first ever snap at left guard? Can Broderick Jones rebound from a miserable preseason and be the rock that the Steelers desperately need him to be? This unit will have a lot to prove in Week 1, especially with all the injuries that they have had to deal with. They are known for having a lot of versatility, and they may need every healthy body that's available.

Usually, Mike Tomlin will answer questions during his weekly press conference. In this case, he just added another question to an already-questionable offensive line: what side will Jones play on?

"I've made no determinations regarding [what side Jones will play]. Obviously, he's worked a lot at right [tackle], but again, we're going to continue to watch that as we progress through the week, because versatility has been an asset for him and us."

The initial regular season depth chart for the Steelers indicates that Dan Moore Jr. will start at left tackle while Jones plays on the right, just like they did for most of the 2023 season. However, Tomlin would not confirm or deny that that would be the case again all throughout 2024. It's still a possibility that Jones could transition to his natural position on the left side of the line, but how likely is that? 

With the tackle position severely depleted due to injury, there are not many other options. Troy Fautanu is still battling through the discomfort of an injury as he tries to make himself available for the first game of the season. After him, Anderson may have to move to tackle if something unfortunately goes wrong and Dylan Cook isn't ready to step up -- which would force Mason McCormick to come in and play guard. Even with a couple of practice squad options that could be elevated, the depth on the outside of the line is very thin.

All throughout preseason, Jones has been playing on the right side with the first-team unit, while Moore continues to man the blindside. The Steelers are usually not quick to change player positions without a lot of practice time, so it doesn't seem like they would be too motivated to make the change quickly. 

Steelers Could Be Waiting On Rookie's Development

Throughout training camp, Fautanu has been working at right tackle, although that has mostly been on the second-team offense. Tomlin mentioned that his progressions, as well as his health, could kick Jones over to the blind side, which would leave Moore on the bench. 

Both Jones and Fautanu were used with the Steelers' most recent first-round picks. Ideally, both of them will start playing in their future roles now. The sooner that they can get acclimated to their future position at the NFL level, the sooner that they can make a big impact on the team and properly protect whoever plays quarterback for them.

That would be the ideal situation, but Fautanu's injury has been anything but that. He has missed a lot of valuable time because of it, and that could end up being the deciding factor on who plays and at what position. He could be left on the bench while Moore and Jones continue to do what they did together in the 2023 season. There is no certainty on when Fautanu will be inserted into the starting lineup, if at all in 2024.

What do you think about Tomlin not making a decision on Jones' position, as well as Fautanu's injury situation? Let us know in the comments.

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