Steelers backup quarterback job is Landry Jones’ to lose
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� In a hurry to catch a flight late last week, Landry Jones apologized for having to keep an interview short. With his wife and infant son waiting for him back home, it was understandable why Jones would be in a rush to get out of Pittsburgh.
Even though Jones had a chance to leave town for good in March as an unrestricted free agent, the 28-year-old is glad to be back in Pittsburgh, back with the only team the quarterback has ever known.
无毛视频淭here was nothing really that came in free agency, so for me I wasn无毛视频檛 going to leave and go somewhere else to be a backup,无毛视频� Jones said. 无毛视频淢y thoughts were that if there wasn无毛视频檛 a spot out there for me and maybe compete, I would just come back here.无毛视频�
And so, after signing a two-year, $4.4 million deal, Jones is back to serve as Ben Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 understudy. Given Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 age (35) and injury history, that means that Jones stands a pretty good chance of seeing even more game action in 2017. Jones started two games each of the past two seasons, compiling a 2-2 record and completing 60.3 percent of his passes while throwing seven touchdowns and six interceptions.
Last season, with Roethlisberger out with a torn meniscus against New England in Week 7, Jones threw for more yards (281-222) than Tom Brady in a loss. With Roethlisberger sitting out the regular-season finale, Jones led the Steelers to a 27-24 win over the Browns in overtime, capped by his 26-yard TD pass to Cobi Hamilton.
Those performances weren无毛视频檛 enough to land Jones a starting job elsewhere or, really, even boost his confidence. That, he says, is something he无毛视频檚 always had in himself.
无毛视频淵ou always feel like you can go out there and play successfully,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淵ou wouldn无毛视频檛 be here if you didn无毛视频檛 think that. For me, I have all the confidence in the world in myself and my teammates if I had to play, to go out there and win a game.无毛视频�
Despite what Jones thinks, he is that rare Pittsburgh athlete: He isn无毛视频檛 universally loved, disproving the myth that the Steelers backup QB has the best job in town. Of course, a lot, if not most, of that has to do with Roethlisberger and the success that he has enjoyed here.
With Roethlisberger hinting at retirement at the end of last season, the Steelers vowed to take a greater look at their QB depth in the off-season, and they did. They selected the University of Tennessee无毛视频檚 Josh Dobbs in the fourth round of the draft and, two days later, parted ways with Zach Mettenberger.
Whether Dobbs is the heir apparent to Roethlisberger remains to be seen. Dobbs is highly-intelligent, which should serve the Steelers well, but is a developmental quarterback, at best, at this point. Dobbs has been using OTAs to sponge anything he can from Roethlisberger and Jones.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 all welcome knowledge out there,无毛视频� Dobbs said. 无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檙e just trying to glean as much as you can.无毛视频�
In the meantime, at least for this season, the No. 2 spot is Jones无毛视频� to lose, something he doesn无毛视频檛 intend on happening anytime soon.
无毛视频淚f I go out there and just coast into the season, I leave myself open to losing my spot,无毛视频� Jones said.