‘Now We Gotta Execute:’ Steelers’ OTs Will Be Tested By Jets’ Edge Rushers

The Steelers are kicking off their season against the Jets Sunday, and it’s going to be a battle to watch. Left tackle Broderick Jones and right tackle Troy Fautanu will have their hands full trying to keep Aaron Rodgers upright against Jets edge rushers Will McDonald IV and Jermaine Johnson.

Fautanu kept it simple when asked about the Steelers’ readiness on SportsLine with George Von Benko.

“I think we have all the pieces now. We just gotta put it together,” he said. “The coaches have done a good job of giving us the game plan. Now we gotta execute.”

That is especially true for Fautanu considering whom he will try to neutralize at MetLife Stadium.

McDonald, a 2023 first-round pick, broke out in 2024 with 10 sacks, 28 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery across 17 games. At 6-4 and 245 pounds with sub 4.7 speed, he embarrassed Jones, then the Steelers’ right tackle, in last year’s Week 7 meeting, notching a sack. Jones showed improvement as the year went on, but his footwork and consistency remain under the microscope.

He will get a chance to test both against Johnson.

Drafted in the first round in 2022, Johnson was a Pro Bowler in 2023 before an Achilles tear ended his 2024 season in Week 2. In 2023, he piled up 7.5 sacks and 55 tackles across 17 games. His strength and technique could give Jones problems.

With Johnson healthy again, both Steelers tackles will be tested. Jones needs to prove his growth, and Fautanu has to back up his words about execution. If the edges collapse, Rodgers’ Pittsburgh debut could turn sour in a hurry. This is one of those classic game-within-the-game battles, the kind that could decide how the entire opener swings.