Could Bruce Gradkowski's Injury Open Up the Steelers' No. 2 QB Job?

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their 2015 training camp over the weekend, and one of the early rituals of the event is to place players on injury lists to open camp. One of the five Steelers players sidelined for the beginning of camp is Bruce Gradkowski, the Steelers' No. 2 quarterback since 2013.

Gradkowski is dealing with a shoulder injury, about which head coach Mike Tomlin said, "I'm not sure the extent of it. We are just exercising some precaution." But that precaution looks to extend for at least a "couple weeks," according to PennLive's Jacob Klinger.

This means the Steelers' other, younger quarterbacks will get an opportunity for more reps. Landry Jones is working as the team's No. 2 quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger, and Tajh Boyd is the team's No. 3 passer while Gradkowski is sidelined. This could open up the door for a competition to brew between Gradkowski, Jones and Boyd for the No. 2 job, but it doesn't seem likely that Gradkowski is going to relinquish it easily.

Jones, in particular, has continued to look shaky in the team's first two training camp practices, continuing a theme that has extended back to his rookie year. Jones has struggled to develop into a serviceable backup, and even his added reps with the first-team offense thus far haven't done him any favors.

Bleacher Report's Chris Gazze, who has been in attendance at camp, says that "Boyd outperformed Jones" on Sunday, adding "Landry still tentative, especially in live drills." Steelers Depot's Jon Ledyard reported that Jones was doing a lot of checking down on Monday, while ESPN's Jeremy Fowler observed Jones overthrowing receiver Martavis Bryant.

But Jones isn't just overthrowing his targets—he's also getting picked off. Ledyard's Steelers Depot colleague Alex Kozora has counted three Jones interceptions in two days of practice. 

These struggles could eventually mean that Jones' status as the No. 2 quarterback for now gives way to Boyd in the coming days. But the ultimate test for the two will be the team's first preseason game, on August 9 against the Minnesota Vikings. Boyd and Jones will likely be the two quarterbacks to get the most work, and it will serve as a much better barometer as to where the two stand in relation to one another and in relation to Gradkowski.

The preseason has not been kind to Jones over the last two years. He's fumbled four times in six games and hasn't thrown a touchdown pass since 2013. Boyd, meanwhile, appeared in two preseason games for the New York Jets last year, completing only 47.1 percent of his passes, but also throwing a touchdown pass and no interceptions while being sacked twice. In three preseason games last year, Jones threw one interception and took six sacks.

Steelers Depot's Dave Bryan expects that Gradkowski should return to the field for the team's third (out of five) preseason game. That gives Jones and Boyd just two full games to unseat Gradkowski, along with their daily practice sessions. It may not be enough time for Jones to finally put enough together to rise on the depth chart or for Boyd to master his new team's offense.

Player	Games	Atts.	Comp.	Comp.%	Yds.	TD	INT	Sack
Jones	3	44	27	61.4%	224	0	1	6
Boyd	2	17	8	47.1%	98	1	0	2
Gradkowski	3	36	23	63.9%	218	2	1	1

In fact, it's Jones, not Gradkowski, who may have the most to lose from Gradkowski's injury. If Jones continues to throw picks in practice and does the same in preseason games, then he could be in danger of losing his No. 3 status to Boyd when Gradkowski returns. On the one hand, the increased reps Jones is getting now can only help him improve; but on the other, it gives him more opportunities to screw up and lose his job.

While it would be a degree of excitement to see these younger quarterbacks push Gradkowski for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, it simply doesn't seem likely. Jones hasn't done enough yet for that to seem realistic, and Boyd is far too green to be the first in line to step in should something happen to Roethlisberger. 

The Gradkowski injury gives Jones and Boyd opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have at this early point in training camp. But that's about it. Gradkowski's job appears, at least right now, to be in no danger.