About a month ago, Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert said he wanted to keep Landry Jones in the mix at quarterback. The team did just that when they signed him to a two-year contract.
And staying in Pittsburgh was an easy decision for Jones.
"It was really just wanting to be back here," said Jones. "It wasn't a tough decision. This place is familiar to me and I am thankful I have an opportunity again to have a job and have a spot to come back to.
"It was the best decision for me and (my wife) Whitney and our family. If all things were equal, I wasn't going to go anywhere. That was where my mindset was.
"I think it is the way people treat you around here. It is a business, but at the same time the Rooneys treat you great, all of our coaches treat you great. It's just a great place to be."
Jones, who was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round in the 2013 NFL Draft, didn't take a snap in the regular season in his first two years in the league, but has seen considerably more action the last two years.
"He has a very good understanding of our offense," said Coach Mike Tomlin during the season. "He is a good communicator. It's part of the functions of being a backup quarterback, the talking of schematics and the seeing of what is on the field and the communicating of such. He has grown in a lot of ways in that area in the last several years."
Jones has played in 15 regular season games, starting four, over the last two years. He has completed 85 of 141 passes for 1,071 yards and seven touchdowns.
Take a look at the best photos of QB Landry Jones from the 2016 season.
Last season Jones led the Steelers to an overtime win against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 of the season. He threw for three touchdowns, the first three-touchdown game of his career, including a 26-yarder to Landry Jones in overtime to win the game.
Jones said he is happy to have the contract out of the way.
"It's a huge weight off of my shoulders," said Jones, who said he was going to text Ben Roethlisberger after he left the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "It was something that was constantly in the back of my mind since we left after the Patriots game. Just to have it done is a huge weight off of my shoulders."
The team also announced that they waived running back Karlos Williams.
