Reading into the Broderick Jones trade

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Days after Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said offensive tackle Broderick Jones was improving, he was traded to Dallas. GM Omar Khan’s thoughts on trading his 2023 first-round pick.

There weren’t a lot of details as Khan met with reporters at the UPMC Rooney complex Monday. Steelers sent Jones and a fourth-round pick to the Cowboys for a third and sixth-round pick Saturday.

Steelers traded up to get Jones with the 14 overall selection four years ago. He would start 11 of 17 games as a rookie, 16 of 17 his second year and then started all 11 games last season before suffering a serious neck injury during the game in Chicago. Not only did that injury cost him the rest of 2025, but much of the offseason.

The 25-year-old could barely do anything during OTAs and then participated in some of mini-camp. By training camp, he was full go, but after doctor’s orders not to lift weights or any physical activity for months after the injury, he wasn’t yet where he needed to be. That likely played a part into the decision, but there seemed to be a bigger reason, Jones admittedly had issues switching from left to right tackle in game.

“His position flex is important to my evaluation of him,” McCarthy said. “He’s just got to clean up some things.”

Obviously, he didn’t, although Khan wouldn’t say much

“I'll just say I still think Broderick has a lot of football left and sometimes a change of scenery is good for everyone,” Khan said.

You wonder if the decision was made even before the last preseason game as Dylan Cook, who started the entire preseason and training camp at right tackle, played left tackle as Troy Fautanu was one of a number of vets who didn’t play in Buffalo. Jones started at right tackle last Thursday, but quickly replaced by rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor.

They may have already decided Cook would be the swing tackle and Iheanachor the starter on the right side and just looked for a trade partner.

Sometimes a change of scenery is good for everyone. Now the Steelers look to another first rounder to be more than Jones was.