Steelers sign Paxton Lynch to practice squad with Ben Roethlisberger sidelined
The Pittsburgh Steelers want to see what former first-round pick Paxton Lynch still has in the tank. Lynch worked out for the team Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Steelers signed Lynch to the practice squad following that workout.
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The Steelers are in need of another quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger was injured during Sunday’s game. Roethlisberger will miss the rest of the season due to elbow surgery.
Lynch, 25, hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2017. He entered 2018 in a competition for the Denver Broncos’ starting job, but was demoted to third string in the preseason. The Broncos released Lynch just days before the 2018 regular season.
After spending the 2018 season as a free agent, Lynch signed with the Seattle Seahawks in January. Lynch appeared in three preseason games for the Seahawks, throwing one touchdown while completing 48.6 percent of his passes. The Seahawks cut Lynch in late August.
Despite being selected by the Broncos with the 26th overall pick in 2016, Lynch has only started four games in the NFL. He’s thrown four touchdowns against four interceptions during his career.
In what has become a common occurrence these days, the news of Lynch’s workout was met with questions about former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The 31-year-old Kaepernick has released plenty of videos this offseason suggesting he wants another shot in the NFL. The Steelers were among the teams to lose a quarterback in Week 2, providing plenty of chances for Kaepernick to get a call.
While the Steelers took a shot on Lynch, the team isn’t expecting him to see the field. Mason Rudolph, who performed admirably in Week 2, will be the team’s starter going forward. A number of Steelers came out in support of Rudolph on Tuesday.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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