QB Jones finds himself in strange position

He’s almost certain to be top backup this year, but free agency. other factors dim future here

Landry Jones had a strange sensation last week inGreen Bay.

For the first time since he was drafted in the fourth round in 2013, he didn’t appear in a preseason game with the Steelers. Not as the starter, not for a half, not evenfor a series.

Coach Mike Tomlin opted to let his two young quarterbacks — rookie Mason Rudolph and Joshua Dobbs — play the entire game against the Packers, wanting to give each an extended look in the secondpreseason game.

So Jones stood on the sideline with Ben Roethlisberger ...and watched. And fidgeted.

“It was weird,” Jones said. “It’s an adjustment for sure. There’s good and bad about it. There’s good because I feel like the coaches think they have confidence in me, but there’s also bad because it’s really boring to sit on the sideline. At least in the preseason, you get a little bit of action.”

Jones is accustomed to playing in the preseason, especially as the most seasoned backup to Roethlisberger. But, when he did not play against the Packers, it was further indication there is no battle for the No. 2 quarterback spot. It is his job, just as it has been each of the previousthree seasons.

“That’s the impression I get, but there’s always that uncertainty they could move on to other people just as quick as they bring them in,” Jones said. “Every year, they’re going to bring a guy in, get the room younger, get the room more talented, and take care of business. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Perhaps, but, for at least one more season, the quarterback order, barring injury, will likely not change. The Steelers value the quarterback position more than any other on the team — that’s why they keep three on the roster — and they’re not going to gamble with a rookie or unproven second-year playerto be their top backup.

That, in all likelihood, eventuallywill change.

Jones is an unrestricted free agent after the season, and it would make little sense for him to re-sign with the Steelers. What’s more, the Steelers didn’t use a thirdround draft choice on Rudolph to have him be anything less than Roethlisberger’s backup, if not his heir apparent, when he is ready.

For now, the Steelers are perfectly content with Jones, who they believe is better than 80 percent of the backup quarterbacks in the league.

His first big moment in the regular season came in 2015 when he came off the bench for an injured Roethlisberger and led the Steelers to a comeback victory against the Arizona Cardinals, completing 8 of 12 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

His most recent was equally impressive, completing 23 of 27 passes for 239 yards and beating the Cleveland Browns in overtime in the 2017 regular-season finale.

Heading into his sixth season, there is no need for Jones to prove himself in the preseason.

“At some point you got to get there,” Jones said. “For me, when I was younger, I played a bunch but I needed to play a bunch. Now, as I’m older in the system, I’ve been herefor six years, not a whole lothas changed.

“At this point, I feel like it’s kind of time, not to take a step back in a sense, but I probably shouldn’t be getting as muchplaying time.

“It’s kind of what I expected, especially when you have Josh in his second year and Mason a rookie. You expect it, especially when you have two guys that they drafted, they’re going to get a bunch of playing time.”

“There’s always that uncertainty they could move on to other people just as quick as they bring them in.” Landry Jones