Broderick Jones was limited at Steelers minicamp on Monday as he works back from spinal fusion surgery in his neck, a reminder that the 2023 first-round pick is still fighting to get back on the field. General manager Omar Khan said nothing has changed in Jones’s rehab, even as a report surfaced that the tackle had suffered a setback.
Khan said Jones is obviously limited at minicamp and added that he is still working to get back where he needs to be. The Steelers are in the middle of a three-day bonus minicamp because they hired a new coach, and the next checkpoint comes quickly: the first OTA is scheduled for May 18, with mandatory minicamp set for June 2.
That calendar matters because the Steelers are trying to sort out more than one moving part at once. Team president and owner Art Rooney II said in late March that he expected a decision on Aaron Rodgers by the draft, but several reports Monday said Pittsburgh does not expect an answer before Thursday. Khan had said in March that he did not think the Rodgers uncertainty would linger the way it did a year ago, and on Monday he kept the message measured, saying communication had been positive and nothing had changed.
At the same time, the Steelers are checking the offensive line market. On Monday they hosted Utah tackle Spencer Fano, Memphis tackle Travis Burke, Miami tackle Markel Bell, Penn State guard Vega Ioane and Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge, part of a broader look at ways to keep adding up front. Offensive line coach Mike McCarthy said he felt confident in the room because of the veterans already in place, then pointed to the younger players as part of what makes the group attractive. He said the blend was one he liked and noted that teams always need to keep adding to the offensive and defensive lines.
For Jones, the issue is simpler and more immediate: health, recovery and whether he can get back to the level the Steelers need from a player drafted to protect the edge. For Pittsburgh, the larger picture is still unsettled. Rodgers remains unresolved, the line is under review and Jones’s rehab remains the quiet question hanging over a pivotal stretch of spring work.