Dylan Cook appears set to make his second consecutive start, but he’s crediting the man he’s replacing for his help. Broderick Jones has missed the past three games due to injury and is not expected to return this season. Cook has a chance to make a name for himself in the final month of the season, and he’s using every resource possible.
That includes Jones, who has been steadily in Cook’s ear. “Yeah, all the time”, he said when asked if Jones has been helping him, via the Steelers’ website. “His locker’s right here, so we talk back and forth a lot. He’s definitely helped me a lot. Helped me get to where I am and helped me perform the way I perform”.
Dylan Cook is older than Broderick Jones and has been in the league longer. But Jones is significantly more experienced, Cook only making his NFL debut two weeks ago. If Cook builds on what he did in the Steelers’ last game, though, he could make himself some money.
Cook was crediting with allowing zero pressures last Monday against the Dolphins in pass protection. The Steelers also ran the ball efficiently, of which he was a part. It was certainly an encouraging first NFL start, especially in light of the fact that he’s been around for several years.
Dylan Cook first signed with the Buccaneers as a college free agent in 2022. He spent that season on their practice squad, signing with the Steelers in May the following year. He played well enough to make the 53-man roster, but as the ninth man—inactive. An injury caused him to begin the 2024 season on the Reserve/Injured list, and once healthy, the Steelers waived him.
After that, they re-signed Cook to their practice squad, and he remained at that level until recently. Amid mounting injuries—not just to Broderick Jones but also Calvin Anderson and Andrus Peat—the Steelers needed to call upon Cook. He is now on their 53-man roster and may be the de facto starter for the rest of the season.
The Steelers initially started Peat at left tackle to replace Jones. He suffered a concussion in that game, however, and he remains in the concussion protocol. After missing last week, he is still not cleared, going through two limited practices this week.
Even after he clears the protocol, Mike Tomlin did not guarantee Peat would get the job back. Dylan Cook played well against the Dolphins, and everyone saw that, including Brian Baldinger, who raved about his potential. He is a guy who has been in the Steelers’ system for three years now, after all. Sometimes all you need is a chance.
Then again, sometimes you just play a good game. It’s one thing to play well. It’s another thing entirely to do it again. But if Cook can put together a good stretch here, he is setting himself up well. He would still be under contract next year, to be clear, so it’s not like he’s going to blossom and then bail. But having too many quality left tackles is literally a problem nobody has ever had.
