Pittsburgh Steelers add QB John Parker Wilson
By Matt Shetler
Currently the Pittsburgh Steelers have only one quarterback under contract in Ben Roethlisberger, who restructured his contract on Thursday.
Also on Thursday they doubled that number when they were awarded quarterback John Parker Wilson off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
August 30, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback John Parker Wilson (4) throws a pass before the start of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
Wilson spent a couple of days on the Jaguars’ active roster last season, but most of the year he spent on the practice squad. That was also the case in the previous three seasons when Wilson was a member of the Falcons.
He will be in contention for a backup job to Roethlisberger, at least for now, until the Steelers decide what they want to do with Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich, or if they intend to address the backup quarterback position via free agency or the NFL Draft.
The Alabama product is 27 years old and was originally signed by the Falcons after going undrafted in the 2009 Draft, but in four years in the NFL has yet to take a professional snap.
The likely scenario is that the Steelers are just taking advantage of a roster spot to give Wilson a look as there is no guarantee that he lasts until the summer, but he could get a look in training camp if the Steelers don’t add more quarterbacks.
The Steelers were the only team to put a claim in on Wilson, who holds almost every significant passing record in Alabama history, starting for the Crimson Tide from 2006-08.