A declined fifth-year option. A first-round offensive tackle. Broderick Jones can see the writing on the wall. The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be planning a future without him, leading former lineman Trai Essex to advise Jones to take control of the situation.

“With Broderick, I think it might be prudent of him to request a trade,” Essex told co-host Charlie Batch on their Big Play podcast. “He still has a lot of value, a lot of athleticism. He’s still young. And he’s showed he’s still capable of playing and improving throughout the year.

“He still might be the odd man out when you consider two first-round tackles probably ahead of him. And the way Dylan Cook played last year…Broderick might be the odd man out.”

There’s every reason to believe the train is leaving the station without Jones. As early as this season, Troy Fautanu and Max Iheanachor could serve as Pittsburgh’s starting tackles. Dylan Cook impressed in his first regular season action a year ago and has left and right tackle value to be Pittsburgh’s swing player if he doesn’t capture a starting job.

Jones is still recovering from his 2025 neck injury and surgery, and isn’t expected to be available for OTAs and minicamp. At the earliest, he may be able to return for training camp, but he will be behind in the process under a new coaching staff.

If Jones can get medically cleared, he may have trade value. Young and experienced offensive tackles are scarce and inherently have value. Most teams lack any semblance of depth. That might create a market for Jones that’s even greater than the potential returns QB Mason Rudolph, RB Kaleb Johnson, and WR Roman Wilson could return. For a Pittsburgh team not projected to net any additional 2027 draft picks, the idea of flipping Jones for, say, a fourth-round pick is attractive.

Could Jones reunite with former offensive line coach Pat Meyer in Buffalo? The Bills aren’t a team holding onto future capital to be players in next year’s quarterback class – not that a Day-Three pick moves the needle much, anyway.

Batch was less convinced Jones could be on the move.

“He’s still on a rookie deal,” he said as a reason to keep him.

Jones is relatively cheap and would create excellent offensive line depth, which few teams enjoy. Injuries can quickly pile up along the offensive line. Last year, the team dug into its fourth-string tackle when Cook got the call behind Broderick Jones, Calvin Anderson, and Andrus Peat.

Health will dictate much of Jones’ future. The sooner he’s deemed healthy, the better. And the stronger the odds that the rest of the NFL will have interest should the Steelers shop Jones come August’s cutdowns.