Fittipaldo preaches patience with Broderick Jones, who has been playing “much better” since Bye

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not getting the Broderick Jones they were hoping for this season. At least they don’t see him regularly, and there are a number of reasons for this. He definitely shows what he’s made of from time to time and has played better overall since the break week.

“He’s still young. I think he’s still very raw to a certain extent. I think there’s still some things he needs to work through,” Ray Fittipaldo said via Broderick Jones on 93.7 The Fan. “But I think what we’ve seen in the last three or four games is a lot better than what we saw in the first half of the season.”

Aside from the game against the Baltimore Ravens, in which he received three penalties and allowed a sack, Jones has performed better since the bye week. You might not notice it from game to game, but he also shows different behavior.

Broderick Jones, a first-round pick in 2023, has been a starter most of his career. This is despite his lack of experience at the collegiate level, which was evident in his first two seasons. Uncertainty over where he would play and a series of injuries also hampered his progress this offseason. Regardless of the reason, he seems to be playing with more confidence and energy.

“The thing I like about Broderick (Jones) is that he plays hard and with some grit. “Sometimes that can get him in trouble,” Fittipaldo said, “but I would rather have a guy like that, a guy who was hungry and wants to get better, than a guy who doesn’t have that type of personality.”

Despite his youth, Jones already acts like a leader. For example, he made it a point to talk to George Pickens after every penalty he took in the last game. While he may not be everything the team wants him to be, he still has plenty of time on his side.

“There will be cases where (Jones) makes a mistake or two,” Fittipaldo said. “But he has everything. He has the size, he has the poise, he has everything it takes to be a really good tackle in this league. And I think if people just have patience with him, I think his time will come.”

However, at the start of the season, the Steelers were willing to bench him. In Week 2, they started rookie Troy Fautanu, another first-round pick, ahead of him. They had planned to sub for Jones, but a quick series of penalties ruined that. He only regained his starting place because Fautanu injured his knee in training the following week.

Still, the Steelers’ ultimate vision for Broderick Jones is a franchise left tackle. So far he hasn’t shown that he will be. He has the talent and everything else to make it happen, but until he gets it together, it remains a question mark. And with Dan Moore Jr. hitting free agency in March, the Steelers may have no choice but to answer that question.