Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones has been ruled out this week against the Buffalo Bills after suffering a neck injury in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears, head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Tuesday.
Jones was injured in the second half of the game, when he was pass protecting for Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, and a late-rushing Bears defender hit him high.
He left the Steelers sideline and was taken to the locker room for evaluation. Jones was listed as questionable to return with a stinger, but he did not, with backup Calvin Anderson finishing the game.
Stingers are extremely painful nerve injuries that can be a cause of or symptom of more serious issues. Repeated stingers caused current Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. elected to have neck surgery this offseason, and the injuries that eventually ended the careers of Steelers defensive backs Ryan Watts and Trenton Thompson were initially described as stingers.
Jones was walking around the Steelers locker room after the game without apparent issue and said he’s doing OK, but Tomlin quickly ruled him out for this coming week on Tuesday.
The team’s first-round pick out of Georgia in the 2023 NFL Draft, Jones has never missed a game in his three-year NFL career, playing in his 45th consecutive contest on Sunday.
Beyond Anderson, the Steelers do not have another player who primarily plays tackle on their 53-man roster, though guards Andrus Peat and Spencer Anderson both have played the position in the past. Dylan Cook is currently on the team’s practice squad. Tomlin listed Anderson and Peat as the primary options to step up at the tackle position this week.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Starting Offensive Lineman Ruled Out with Neck Injury
