Zach Mettenberger to Steelers: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

A day after he was waived by the San Diego Chargers, third-year quarterback Zach Mettenberger was claimed Wednesday by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The team announced the move and noted Bruce Gradkowski has been placed on the reserved list.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora first reported the development, and ESPN.com's Field Yates confirmed the news.

Mettenberger joined the Chargers in May after he was waived by the Tennessee Titans, but head coach Mike McCoy and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt—who was paired with Mettenberger in Tennessee—didn't see enough from the signal-caller to let him stick around.

Now a member of the Steelers, Mettenberger figures to compete for third-string responsibilities behind backup Landry Jones—who is coming off his best performance of the preseason and has the No. 2 job in hand, per ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler:

In exhibition action last week against the New Orleans Saints, Jones completed 19-of-22 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown en route to recording a quarterback rating of 120.8.

Jones also has more familiarity with offensive coordinator Todd Haley's scheme after starting two games in place of Ben Roethlisberger last season.

As a result, Mettenberger initially projects as the Steelers' No. 3 quarterback after Bruce Gradkowski was diagnosed with a torn hamstring on Aug. 15.

In his lone preseason appearance of the summer, Mettenberger completed 2-of-8 passes for 22 yards and an interception.