It wasn't all that long ago that Paxton Lynch was a first-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos and seemingly the team's quarterback of the future.
But four seasons and two teams later, Lynch is still fighting for every last scrap of practice time he can get in the NFL.
With Mason Rudolph likely out for the Steelers' regular season finale Sunday at Baltimore against the Ravens, he won't have to fight too hard.
Lynch, who has been with the Steelers since Sept. 17, when they signed him to their practice squad, is likely to be the No. 2 quarterback for the team behind Devlin Hodges in that important finale at Baltimore. And given that the Steelers (8-7) have made five in-game changes at quarterback this season because of injuries or ineffectiveness, it's not a stretch to consider Lynch one play away from being the team's quarterback.
"It's tough. But they brought me in here if they needed me. If they need me this week, I'm going to do everything I can to be prepared to play," said Lynch.
Lynch was elevated to the 53-man roster Oct. 11 prior to the Steelers' 24-17 win at Los Angeles against the Chargers when Rudolph was out with a concussion.
He didn't play in that game and has been relegated to taking mostly scout team snaps, simulating that week's opposing offense.
But, the former Memphis star said he has a pretty firm grasp of the Steelers' offense.
"It's a little harder when you haven't really gotten any reps in the offense. But we're all professionals," he said. "I've been preparing like I was going to play each week, knowing I was going to probably be inactive each week. There were a few weeks where I didn't know if I was going to get bumped up or not, so I've been preparing like I was going to play."
Lynch has appeared in five games, all with the Broncos, who selected him with the 26th pick in the 2016 draft. He has competed 61.7 percent of his 79 career passes for 792 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions, going 1-3 as a starter.
But the Broncos gave up on Lynch in 2018, releasing him after signing Case Keenum to be their quarterback. He signed with the Seahawks after that season and went 18 of 37 for 180 yards and one touchdown in the preseason before being released at the end of August. The Seahawks, who carry just two quarterbacks, went with Geno Smith as Russell Wilson's backup instead.
That left him available for the Steelers, who like to carry three quarterbacks, and were in the market for another when Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season to an elbow injury.
Since Rudolph and Hodges had been here throughout the offseason and training camp, however, there haven't been any real opportunities for Lynch to pass either on the depth chart.
But he has been working hard with the scout team reps he's gotten.
"It's been good going up against this defense," he said. "Our defense has been one of the best in the league, so I take that opportunity to get better. That's been my mentality throughout, just taking the opportunity to get better."
The Steelers need to win Sunday in Baltimore and have the Titans lose in Houston to make it to the postseason. Given that Hodges started Sunday's 16-10 loss to the Jets before being pulled in favor of Rudolph, who was then injured, it's not a stretch to think the team's playoff hopes could rest on Lynch's right arm at some point. After all, Hodges has thrown six interceptions in his past two games, leading to his benching against the Jets.
"I feel good. Whatever they need me to do, I'll be ready to do," Lynch said. "That's why they brought me here, to help this team win if I'm called upon. That's what I'll be ready for."
