The NFL’s first mandatory roster cut down to 75 players may be two weeks away, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are already making some final decisions at quarterback. The Steelers began the week by activating back up quarterback Bruce Bruce Gradkowski from the PUP list.
- The easy conclusion was that the Steelers were activating Bruce Gradkowski because they were alarmed by Landry Jones play.
The Steelers started training camp with a four-headed competition for the third quarterback slot pitting Landry Jones against former ACC player of the year Tajh Boyd who had also spent time last summer with the New York Jets, Devin Gardner, and Tyler Murphy (with Gardner and Murphy doing double duty at wide receiver.
- Apparently the Steelers have reached some conclusions.
The Steelers released Gardner last week and today the Steelers cut Tajh Boyd, whom they signed earlier in the spring. While Tyler Murphy has drawn praise from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Boyd had largely been invisible in training camp and more ominously in preseason. Save for Ben Roethlisberger’s three throws vs. the Jaguars, Landry Jones has gotten all of the snaps for the Steelers at quarterback in preseason.
- By all accounts, Jones play has been “OK” but nothing more.
But given that Tajh Boyd could not get any real reps in the first of two of five preseason games shows that his release was no surprise.
