Offensive tackle Broderick Jones needed this fresh start. A week ago, the 25-year-old was acquired by the Dallas Cowboys from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jones revealed the trade came as a “surprise,” but he was “excited for the change.” However, just a few days into Jones’ tenure in Dallas, head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s comments about him have taken on a life of their own.

At a weekly presser on Thursday, September 3, Schottenheimer praised the newly traded offensive tackle for how quickly he’s picked up the Cowboys’ system and how coachable he’s been early on. But tucked inside that praise, it appeared he took a jab at the Steelers. 

“Great job of learning the system,” Schottenheimer said of Jones, per Nicole Hutchison of DallasCowboys.com. “Very athletic. Love how coachable he is. He would just eat up all the coaching they could give him. He’s doing terrific. There are some techniques he’s been taught that we’re having to retrain, and usually it takes a minute, but in terms of the athlete and young man, I’m sold.”

General Manager Jerry Jones acquired the 2023 draftee from the Steelers on August 29 to add depth to their offensive line. In the trade, the Cowboys received Jones with a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and the Steelers got two draft picks in return: a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick for the 2027 NFL Draft. 

However, Schottenheimer’s staff appears determined not to repeat what many NFL pundits have viewed as the Steelers’ biggest mistake with Jones. “We’re not going to move Broderick around,” Schottenheimer said, confirming that Jones will settle in at the right tackle spot rather than bouncing between tackle spots the way he did throughout his time with the Steelers.

During his time in Pittsburgh, Jones rotated between left and right tackle, two positions considered important for protecting the quarterback during a drive. Jones has echoed the coaching staff’s sentiment, pointing to the constant repositioning as one of the biggest obstacles he faced in Pittsburgh.

“For me, I would just say bouncing around (positions), just not being able to get my feet set,” Jones said. “That was a challenge for me. Coming in, hopefully I can stick to one side. Compete for that (job), get comfortable, get familiar with it, get familiar with who I’ll be playing next to and go from there.”

Schottenheimer also made clear that Jones isn’t coming in as a mere backup plan. He won’t be positioned as depth insurance behind Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele. The Cowboys view Jones as a legitimate competitor for the starting right tackle job. For Jones, who’s spent his pro years fighting for stability at the position, the chance to walk into a defined competition represents exactly the kind of clarity he says he’s been missing.

“When we made the trade, the first thing I did was I reached out to Terence Steele and told Terence that Broderick is coming here to compete with him to be the starting right tackle,” Schottenheimer said.

Beyond the positional clarity, Jones is also entering Dallas with something else to prove after an injury cut his 2025 season short and forced him to work his way back to the field.

Broderick Jones’ Injury Update and Return to the Field

During his first media appearance since joining the team, Broderick Jones opened up about his fresh start and returning to the gridiron.

“It was a surprise, but I was excited for the change,” Jones said in his first interview following the trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. “You know, just going into the year after last year, me getting injured and just trying to get my feet back up under me — I feel like a new start was needed for me. I’m just ready to get here and get started.”

Jones suffered a season-ending injury last season while playing against the Chicago Bears in the Week 12 game, where he injured his neck when a Bears defender accidentally grabbed his helmet and twisted it. Because of that, he missed the rest of the season. Before the injury, he started 11 games for the Steelers, appearing in the fewest games compared to the other two seasons, when he played in all 34 games. 

“I feel like I’m doing great so far after the injury,” Jones said. “Everything’s looking how it’s supposed to. I’ve been out there, I’ve been playing. I’ve got back into the game. … I’m getting [back to full health]. I’m not fully where I want to be, though.
I would say probably like 85, 90 percent.”

“I’m pumped up, man. I’m just pumped up, you know?” he said. “They made it clear where they want me. I just gotta do my part and show up.”

For a player who watched his 2025 season end early and his time with the Steelers come to an unexpected close, this fresh start in Dallas carries plenty of weight. Jones now has a clear runway ahead of him, a defined role to compete for, a coaching staff banking on his upside, and a body that’s steadily closing in on full strength.