The Pittsburgh Steelers have added Michael Vick on a free agent deal following the injury to Bruce Gradkowski in the preseason and now he will be the backup for Ben Roethlisberger heading into the season and this comes as DeAngelo Williams is set to start for Le'Veon Bell while he is suspended for the first two games of the year.
Vick has been on the free agent market all offseason and while he did not play much for the Jets last year, the quarterback was still hoping to get with another team. Gradkowski was placed on injured reserve and he previously was expected to serve as the backup for Roethlisberger. Gradkowski played in one game last season for the Steelers behind the durable Roethlisberger and now he is done for the year with a finger injury and a shoulder injury.
Last season Vick played in 10 games for the Jets and had 604 yards on 121 pass attempts and he had just three touchdowns with two interceptions. Vick was the starter in Philadelphia for a while before being replaced and now he has the chance to serve as a backup for the Steelers. If things go right Vick likely will not be on the field much, but there is always a chance that an injury could happen. The Steelers needed to make a move, as Landry Jones is young and the team may not be ready to make him the backup.
The Steelers are coming into the season with high expectations on offense and Roethlisberger is back after one of the best years of his career. Le'Veon Bell will be out for two games with a suspension stemming from an off the field issue last summer and DeAngelo Williams is expected to start for him during that time. Last season Bell put up over 2000 total yards and he rushed for 1361 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games. Bell also had a career best 83 catches for 854 yards and him missing any time is tough for the Steelers.
Bell had his suspension reduced to two games and that was a welcome decision for the Steelers and the team is hoping that Williams can keep things consistent until Bell returns. Williams signed with the Steelers in the offseason after playing in Carolina for many years and he comes in looking to bounce back after dealing with injuries last year. Williams played in just six games and 219 yards rushing and he will be looking to stay healthy and productive this season.
