The Dallas Cowboys acquired offensive tackle Broderick Jones from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, sending third- and sixth-round picks in 2027 in exchange for Jones and a fourth-round pick, a modest cost for a player who was a first-round selection just two years ago. The move gives Dallas an experienced body on the offensive line right as final roster cuts loom, but Jones arrives after a rough stretch that pushed him from Pittsburgh’s starting lineup to its bench.
Why was a former first-round pick available for this little?
A serious injury derailed his 2025 season and never let him fully recover his standing. Jones suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 11 or 12 last year against the Chicago Bears, requiring spinal fusion surgery and a lengthy recovery. He was medically cleared to return at the start of this year’s training camp, but Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said publicly that a player coming off that kind of clearance can’t simply jump back to full speed, and Jones has echoed that himself, saying as recently as July that he was still working to regain his strength and technique after the long layoff.
What did that mean for his role in Pittsburgh?
It cost him his starting job. While Jones was sidelined, the Steelers declined his fifth-year option and used their 2026 first-round pick on tackle Max Iheanachor, while also shifting 2024 first-rounder Troy Fautanu from right tackle to left tackle. By the time Jones returned to practice, he was working mostly as a backup at right tackle rather than in his old starting spot, projected to open the season as depth behind Fautanu and undrafted free agent Dylan Cook rather than as a starter.
What does Jones actually bring to Dallas?
Real starting experience, even after the lost season. He started 38 of 45 games across three years in Pittsburgh, and played all 603 of his offensive snaps at left tackle last season before the injury, after spending his first two seasons working primarily on the right side. That left-right versatility is part of why Dallas views him as a legitimate swing tackle option, and at 25, there’s still a chance he develops into a starting competitor down the line rather than staying purely a backup.
Why did the Cowboys need this specific move right now?
Because their swing tackle competition hadn’t produced a clear answer. Nate Thomas struggled to establish himself at left tackle during camp and shifted to right tackle late in the offseason, while Terence Steele took the bulk of first-team reps at right tackle in the Cowboys‘ final practices. Rookie fourth-round pick Drew Shelton remains more of a developmental project than an immediate answer. After Friday’s preseason finale, both head coach Brian Schottenheimer and owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the tackle competition wasn’t settled, with Jerry Jones specifically noting the team was prepared to be aggressive in adjusting the roster if needed. This trade appears to be exactly that kind of adjustment.
Does this put pressure on Terence Steele’s starting job?
Some, though not immediately. Steele has started every game at right tackle for the past three seasons and 91 of 96 games in his career, and he signed a reworked deal this offseason worth $33 million over three years with a $10.5 million signing bonus, structured to lower his base salary while guaranteeing him more money upfront. Even so, Schottenheimer has acknowledged some inconsistency from Steele during camp, and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams has floated the idea that fewer practice reps might actually help his performance. Jones now enters that room as competition rather than just organizational depth, even if he isn’t likely to unseat Steele outright before the season starts.
What happens next for Dallas’s roster?
The offensive tackle room now includes Jones, Tyler Guyton, Steele, Nate Thomas, Drew Shelton and Marcellus Johnson, giving the Cowboys more bodies at the position than roster spots to go around. With final cuts due Sunday at 5 p.m. CT, Dallas will need to decide quickly how many tackles, and offensive linemen overall, it wants to carry into the regular season, a decision this trade just made more complicated in a productive way.
