Broderick Jones’s Return Unclear After Spinal Fusion as Steelers Shift at Tackle

Overview

• Jones had spinal fusion surgery after a neck injury in Week 12 of 2025 and is now doing only individual work at OTAs while medical staff monitor his progress.
• The team declined Jones’s fifth-year option this offseason and then selected offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with the No. 21 overall pick, a move that creates a clear succession plan at tackle.
• Jones told reporters Friday that he does not have a firm timeline for full clearance and has not been cleared for team drills, so his availability for training camp remains unknown.
• Jones has publicly said he holds no ill will toward the Steelers and offered to help Iheanachor, but analysts warn that Iheanachor earning first-team reps could limit Jones’s path back to a starting role or prompt trade talk.
• The roster shift matters for Pittsburgh’s effort to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers because it forces the club to identify a reliable starter at left tackle while Jones completes rehab.