The Pittsburgh Steelers typically have a great eye for talent, especially when it comes to the NFL Draft. The organization seems to have a long list of extremely valuable players that were found in later rounds. A great example is Antonio Brown, who was selected in the sixth round in 2010 and went on to have a Hall Of Fame career. Brent Jones is another late-round find by Pittsburgh, except he never had the chance to suit up for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh selected Jones in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. Despite being a fifth round selection, he was supposedly going to be relied upon to make an immediate impact from the tight end position. He recently made an appearance on the East Coast Red And Gold Podcast, which is made by San Francisco 49ers fans. Jones discussed his time with Pittsburgh, and what happened that led to him going to San Francisco.
"It was my first year in training camp. I was drafted by the Steelers. They said I was the tight end of the future. I got in a car accident two weeks later. I had a herniated disc, and I was put on Injured Reserve. And a month into the season, they said, 'We're not sure your neck is getting better, and we're gonna release you', and so I came home thinking my dreams of playing professional football were over."
Jones would go on to haul in 417 passes for 5,195 yards in San Francisco. He caught 33 touchdowns, and wound up being one of the best tight ends in the league. He was named an All-Pro three times, while being a Pro-Bowler on four occasions. He went into one of the situations in the NFL, as he got to catch balls from Joe Montana and Steve Young throughout his 11-year career.
The tight end was a big reason for all of the 49ers' success during the 1990s. He was a part of three Super Bowl-winning teams. He is one of six tight ends in the history of the NFL to win at least three Super Bowls. There's a good chance that Jones should be considered the worst cut in the history of the Steelers franchise, maybe even the worst move in general.
The Steelers could have been a more successful team throughout the late 1980s and 1990s with a tight end like Jones. The organization might even have more than six Super Bowls. Had Pittsburgh just given Jones time to recover from his injuries, things could have turned out a lot different for both sides.
Steelers Are Trying To Get The Tight End Position More Involved In 2024
Pat Freiermuth has never been able to recapture the success he had during his rookie year in 2021. He struggled to get involved in Matt Canada's offense, and now he could be Pittsburgh second receiving option. Behind George Pickens is a bunch of question marks, which makes Freiermuth one of the most reliable receiving options on the roster.
New Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith loves tight ends, and it should be expected to see Freiermuth's production take a serious leap in 2024. He is also up for a contract extension, so Pittsburgh better get that done now before he tears it up in the regular season.
