Without sturdy bookends, a row of books is bound to topple. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, their offensive line has been wobbling for years, with tackle play falling well short of what winning football demands. This is the first time in franchise history they will have two homegrown first-round picks starting on either side of the line. The investment has never been higher, and it’s time for that to start paying off.
Broderick Jones is entering his third NFL season, but his up-and-down play and a move back to the left side leaves him as one giant question mark. Troy Fautanu is entering Year 2 after what was effectively a redshirt season due to a major knee injury.
If they both play well, the Steelers’ 2025 season could be a smashing success. If one or both underwhelms, the whole stack of books could topple over.
A 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers won’t be able to turn and run like Justin Fields was able to when the line fell apart last season. One wrong hit, and the Steelers’ all-in season could be resting on the shoulders of Mason Rudolph and his 18 NFL starts.
It’s no coincidence that the only four offensive starters playing tonight in Jacksonville are the young offensive linemen. They need to jell, and getting extra reps is necessary despite the ever-present risk of injury in a meaningless game.
Training camp has been a rollercoaster for Jones, who will be protecting Rodgers’ blindside. He looked like he’d taken a massive step backward before the pads came on, and then an injury held him out of the first few padded practices. His practices have gone much better since returning from the injury and playing in pads, but now he has to prove that against live competition that can and will hit the quarterback every opportunity they get.
Fautanu seems to have picked up where he left off as the most promising lineman on the roster. But there is too much riding on this season for him to play like the rookie he essentially is.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be playing their starters for at least a couple drives in this first preseason game. That gives Jones and Fautanu the opportunity to get live reps against two talented EDGE players in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
There will be other notable headlines to surface from this first preseason game, but none will be more important than the play of the Steelers’ two young tackles.
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