Steelers Rumors: Broderick Jones in line for start in Week 2 of preseason
Pittsburgh Steelers first-rounder Broderick Jones could be set to make his first start when Pittsburgh faces the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the preseason.
Jones made his debut in the Steelers' preseason opener against the Bucs, and his up-and-down performance drew mixed reviews from pundits. It looks like the Georgia product will get a second shot at showcasing his skills this preseason as Jones was given first-team reps in Steelers camp; veteran Dan Moore shifted to the right side to make room for Jones.
The 14th overall pick has battled Moore all camp long for that starting left tackle job, and based on whispers out of camp, the challenger could overthrow the incumbent. Even though Moore has had most of the first-team left tackle snaps, it makes sense for the Steelers to want the prospect they traded up for in the 2023 draft to make an immediate impact.
The Steelers' latest move in practice confirms that.
Still, the starting left tackle position remains imbued with a lack of clarity. Steelers coaches no doubt want Jones there as soon as possible, but they may want to see him earn it, rather than just hand the reins to him.
Gradually giving Jones more first-team reps throughout camp and hoping he improves week after week could be Pittsburgh's developmental plan; that way, Jones gets an extra dose of motivation to potentially claim the starting job come the start of the season.
NFL Rumors: Joey Porter Jr. will make his NFL debut on Saturday
Speaking of highly anticipated debuts, Steelers rookie Joey Porter Jr. is also slated to play in Week 2 of the preseason.
The 32nd overall pick in April sat out of the preseason opener due to an ankle injury he picked up in practice. Now that his ankle has presumably healed, Porter is expected to take the field in his NFL debut along with several other projected starters that were held out of Week 1 preseason.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said:
"We expect all healthy players to play. I am excited about seeing guys for the first time this week that we held out last week like Minkah, Pat, Pete, Cam, T.J., and Joey Porter Jr."
Porter's participation in practice this past week has been limited and he probably won't get a lot of playing time on Saturday.
That being said, any rookie's NFL debut (albeit in preseason) is tantalizing, and fans and pundits alike are ready to see Porter in action and play significant minutes this summer.
Along with Porter, fellow defensive backs Patrick Peterson and Keanu Neal are also touted to suit up for the first time at Acrisure Stadium.
NFL Rumors: Big Ben and Ravens' Ray Lewis, frenemies at heart?
All this talk about Steelers rookies can make certain dedicated fans feel old. Let's throw it back for a minute.
Famous Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who now has a podcast like so many retired people do, recently shared an anecdote about his playing days in the AFC North. Big Ben and the Steelers won the division eight times over his 18-year career and sparked some of the fiercest rivalries alive including the Steelers-Ravens.
While those emotionally fraught Steelers-Ravens matchups often featured hostility and bad blood, there were also more tender moments of mutual respect and admiration.
Big Ben revealed one of those moments on his podcast:
"I remember one time I was holding onto the ball and there was a pile up and I kind of got my leg bent under me. It was one of those ones where if a few guys keep going something bad was going to happen. I remember yelling and he [Lewis] started pulling guys off of me and helping make it so it wasn't so bad, and I respected that."
During one game, Ravens legend Ray Lewis apparently helped prevent Roethlisberger from sustaining a serious leg injury, which is a pretty classy move for a sworn enemy.
In Roethlisberger's eyes, Lewis obviously wanted to beat the Steelers, but he helped the veteran quarterback up because he wanted to beat them at their best. Roethlisberger held a career 19-11 record against the Ravens.
"If you want to beat the Chiefs, you want to beat them with Patrick Mahomes, not without him."
Last season, the two teams split the series with a win apiece. Who's coming out on top in 2023?
