There is a real somewhat like/actively hate relationship between Pittsburgh Steelers fans and former quarterback Landry Jones. A not insignificant percentage of the fanbase seems to hold the opinion that he was never deserving of being in the NFL, and now they look to his interception total through three games in the XFL, after years out of football and through a knee injury, as further evidence of that.
Originally drafted in the fourth round in 2013, Jones spent five years with the Steelers, about half of that time as Ben Roethlisberger’s backup. It’s fair to say that he had some mixed results during his stay there, but that’s kind of the story of a backup quarterback.
Long story short, the Steelers drafted two quarterbacks over a two-year period leading up to the 2018 season, and that resulted in his somewhat surprising release. He struggled to hang on elsewhere, and he ultimately became the first player to sign with the XFL last year.
As the face of the Dallas Renegades, he suffered a knee injury in training camp in January that prevented him from playing in the season opener. He returned for the next three games, including Sunday’s game, in which he reinjured his left knee, around which he had been wearing a brace.
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of a one-point game against the league’s best team, the Houston Roughnecks, as he converted a first down on a quarterback sneak. Former Steelers defensive lineman Caushaud Lyons was the first to hit him as his knee got tangled up.
Jones himself after the game said that he felt he reinjured his MCL and put a 4-6 week timeline on his recovery, saying that he was hoping to get back on the field before the end of the season, with six more games to play.
Tests reportedly revealed somewhat more optimistic news, according to Pro Football Talk, writing that he should be back sooner than that. While he is expected to miss at least the next two weeks, he could return shortly after that.
Prior to his injury, Jones threw three interceptions in the first quarter of the game, though the coaching staff would later suggest that two of the interceptions were more to blame on the wide receivers, including one in which the receiver sunk on a short pass that was tipped and picked when he should have come forward for the ball.
Despite the three interceptions, the Renegades stayed competitive and were in position to take the lead in a 21-20 game in the fourth quarter when the injury happened. Backup Philip Nelson, who started the opener, struggled, including losing a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown to make it a seven-point game.
