HC Mike Tomlin hints when Steelers rookies will start

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff seem completely uninterested in starting their promising 2023 draft class. However, Tomlin revealed when he thinks the time will come for their rookies.

"With each week, they all are [close to starting]," Tomlin said. "There's some variables at play with what they do and the quality that they do it. Things and decisions don't happen in a vacuum."

The main two rookies in question are left tackle Broderick Jones, Pittsburgh's first-round pick, and CB Joey Porter Jr., the No. 32 overall pick.

Jones earned his first NFL start in Week 5 against the Ravens because Dan Moore Jr. was inactive with a knee sprain, and he impressed. The massive 6-foot-5, 311-pound offensive tackle allowed zero sacks and just one pressure.

However, with Moore Jr.'s return to practice, many believe Jones is headed back to the bench in the Steelers' Week 7 matchup against the Rams after Moore Jr. earned first-team reps in practice.

If the team were to go back to Moore Jr., who still ranks in the top 10 of pressures allowed this season despite missing a full game, per Pro Football Focus, it would be quite the head-scratching move.

The decision to not start Porter Jr. yet is just as confusing. Veteran cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace have continually gotten picked on this season, allowing 41 catches on 70 targets.

Porter Jr., on the other hand, has allowed just one catch for 12 yards on 76 coverage snaps and made a touchdown-saving interception that aided a Pittsburgh comeback win against the Ravens in Week 5.

Only time will tell when the rookies' roles will grow but Tomlin says Jones and Porter Jr. have done a good job in their progress. Fans are surely hoping they become regulars in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.