The Athletic’s Mike Jones wasn’t exaggerating when he labeled the Dallas Cowboys as one of the NFL’s top offseason winners. Jerry Jones spent months aggressively reshaping the coaching staff, bolstering the defense, and landing a high-value B+ draft class. Yet, right before the regular season kicks off, Jerry dropped another late-summer bombshell: a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for a former first-round veteran. Here’s how the deal went down…

“Trade terms … Cowboys get: OT Broderick Jones, 2027 fourth-round pick. Steelers get: 2027 third-round pick, 2027 sixth-round pick,” Albert Breer posted on X.

Jones was drafted 14th overall in 2023, but things in Pittsburgh never quite came together, especially after he missed six games last season. Unfortunately, he never became the constant in the offensive line that Pittsburgh hoped he’d be.

During his rookie campaign in Steel City, Jones flashed his first-round potential early. Making his first career start at left tackle in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens, he logged 37 pass-blocking reps while surrendering zero sacks and just a single pressure. In Week 9 of the 2023 season, he replaced Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle. He remained the starting right tackle for the rest of the season, appearing in all 17 regular-season games (11 starts). Coming out of Georgia, Jones was specifically known for being a “dominant run-blocker.”

“Once he gets his hands on you he can turn you and torque you with his upper body. Once it’s like a wrestling match up top you’re not getting away from him.” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said.

However, transitioning to the right side exposed cracks in his game. While his aggressive run-blocking remained a bright spot, his pass protection became glaringly inconsistent. Still, Jones remained at left tackle during his sophomore season, which led to regression. Speed rushers routinely beat him, and he was responsible for 11 surrendered sacks alongside costly drive-killing penalties.

He’d moved back to his more natural spot at left tackle in 2025, hoping that would turn things around. It didn’t. He kept struggling in pass protection, and then his season ended early when he suffered a neck injury in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears. Before he went down, he’d already given up six sacks and hits according to PFF.

Recovering from spinal fusion surgery wasn’t quick either. Jones got the green light for football activities right as training camp kicked off, but shaking off the rust took longer than expected. Jones was reported to have lost his strength after the surgery. He was presumed to be a roster cut this year, and at best, might have spent the last year of his rookie contract on the practice squad.

Jones was pretty honest about where things stood too.

“I’m still working through it,” Jones said in July. “I wouldn’t say I’m where I want to be at. Just trying to get back in shape and putting the weight back on in the right places.”

The OT had also lost weight after the injury and was still working his way back. When asked about how he was dealing with the situation, 93.7 Jeff Hathhorn said Jones was clearly emotional, particularly about how he didn’t know what his future looked like. His weight has fluctuated over the course of his career, but this time, it looked troubling.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers further made Jones’ exit evident by drafting Max Iheanachor this season, who is expected to play at left tackle. However, don’t let Broderick Jones’ tough turn of events disappoint you just yet. He was, after all, a first-round pick who has unfortunately been dealt a tough hand. He’s only 25 and has spent this offseason trying to prove everyone wrong.

Over in Dallas, Jerry Jones made it clear after Friday’s preseason finale that the Cowboys were ready to be aggressive in shaping their roster, and this trade is proof of that. For Dallas, this feels like a low-risk, high-upside move. They’re not giving up a ton; they’re getting a former top pick back.

For now, Jones steps in as the swing tackle, but don’t be shocked if he ends up pushing Terence Steele for a starting job as the season goes on.

What Broderick Jones brings to the Cowboys

Jones brings real game experience to a Cowboys team that needed it, having played in 45 games and started 38 over three years in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys need tackle depth, and he has the athleticism to pull and hunt in the second level, plus the strength to latch on and displace defenders, even if it hasn’t shown up yet at the pro level.

He’s already shaken off the rust a bit, logging 142 snaps across Pittsburgh’s three preseason games since returning from injury. It was clear he would be dropped by the franchise, yet he showed up and made every moment count.

Last season he played every single snap at left tackle, but before that he’d mostly worked the right side. That kind of versatility is exactly why he makes sense as Dallas’ swing tackle option. The Cowboys need depth here, as Terence Steele doesn’t seem to be a reliable swing tackle option.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer mentioned wanting to watch the film before making any trade calls, and pointed out that Nate Thomas and Drew Shelton have been battling it out in camp. He sounded happy with the group as a whole, but nothing about his answer sounded final. That leaves plenty of room for Jones to make his case. He is young, and if the Cowboys are patient enough, there is potential for the OT to impress fans.

Jerry Jones also made clear the tackle competition is far from settled, even with the added depth.

“We’ve seen some guys that we might make some shifting around if it called for it,” Jerry Jones said. “But we’ve got a good plan. We’ll see where we go from here, it’s not over yet.”

Broderick Jones’ addition definitely stirs the pot in Dallas’ tackle room. Right now, that group includes Jones, Tyler Guyton, Terence Steele, Nate Thomas, Drew Shelton, and Marcellus Johnson, and that competition just got a whole lot more interesting.