FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys open the season in 14 days against the New York Giants and are still working through who will be their right tackle.
Coach Brian Schottenheimer said there will be a competition for the job between Terence Steele and Broderick Jones, who was acquired Saturday from the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 2027 fourth-rounder for 2027 third- and sixth-round selections.
"When we made the trade, the first thing I did was I reached out to Terence Steele and told Terence that Broderick's coming here to compete with him to be the starting right tackle," Schottenheimer said Monday. "We're not going to move Broderick around. As you guys can imagine, Terrance Steele was the ultimate pro, [saying] 'Schotty, I get it. I appreciate the phone call. You didn't have to make the phone call.' I said, I did because I respect you that much as a teammate and a player."
The Cowboys will have six practices left before playing the Giants, so Schottenheimer said Jones will be spending a lot of time with offensive line coach Conor Riley and assistant Kyle Fuller.
"He'll be learning on the fly," Schottenheimer said.
Jones said he felt like he needed a fresh start, especially after the Steelers selected Max Iheanachor in the first round. He said he doesn't think it will take him long to pick up the system.
"It's all the same all around the league, techniques don't change, plays don't change. Just play calls," Jones said. "So it's not nothing that I'm not used to. It's just getting used to playing next to some new guys, different coaching, things of that nature."
While he said he feels most comfortable at left tackle, he is glad the Cowboys are having him focus on the right side after moving back and forth with the Steelers.
"[Schottenheimer] made it clear where he wants me," Jones said. "I feel like I have to do my part and show up."
A first-round pick in 2023 by the Steelers, Jones started 38 games in his career, mixing between left and right tackle. He suffered a neck injury last season and had a spinal fusion surgery, but he was cleared to return to the field at the start of training camp.
Based on what Jones did in the preseason, Schottenheimer said the Cowboys were comfortable with his health.
"There's some fundamental things that we're excited that we feel like we can kind of tighten up," Schottenheimer said. "And I know he's really excited to be here ... Sometimes a change of scenery is a good thing."
Steele has started the past 23 games at right tackle. For his career, he has started 91 of 96 games. The Cowboys signed him to a revised contract in the offseason that paid him a $10.5 million signing bonus.
In the past two years, he has played 2,333 out of 2,357 snaps.
"One of the things I said to Terence was we need to figure out the right way to get him his work, but also not overwork him," Schottenheimer said. "He's played a lot of football around here, and he's never asked for a rep off ever, ever. And so that's a little bit of us having to find, OK, what's the right way to do this? You are competing now with Broderick, but the conversation with him was very easy and that's what you love about the guy. I wouldn't bet against Terrence Steele."
