Kevin Gorman: In case of emergency, Steelers hope Paxton Lynch can show QB pedigree

The Pittsburgh Steelers are down to a pair of polar opposites at quarterback in Devlin Hodges and Paxton Lynch, and the latter is everything the former is not.

Where the 6-foot-7, 245-pound Lynch has prototypical size for a pocket passer, Hodges is shorter at 6-1, 209. Where Lynch was a first-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos, Hodges was an undrafted free agent signed only after a pair of tryouts.

But Hodges is the starter and Lynch the backup going into the season finale at the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, which means Lynch has replaced the Duck as the most popular player in Pittsburgh (with apologies to Zach Banner and his big hair and bigger personality).

You would imagine Hodges is on a short leash, given that he’s thrown six interceptions over the past two games. It might be even shorter if Lynch had played in a game the past two seasons.

Their roles will be reversed only in the case of an emergency, and Randy Fichtner isn’t quite ready to break glass. The Steelers offensive coordinator made it clear that Lynch is more of a sprinkler system than a fire hose.

“If Paxton was to go into play, the expectation is that he would understand what he’d be asked to do,” Fichtner said, crediting Lynch for being sharp and asking the right questions in meetings. “What rust might come out in-game, that’s been the thing with any of the quarterbacks that have played: You just hope that the big mistake won’t occur. I do like where he’s at right now. There’s a confidence level. I think he’d like to play in this game.”

There’s no doubt about that, although it likely would come in a worst-case scenario. Mike Tomlin won’t tolerate turnovers, so Lynch could only be one or two picks away from making his Steelers’ debut with their playoff hopes on the line.

“It’s an exciting opportunity, especially the situation that we’re in,” Lynch said. “We need to win this game and make a playoff push, to get into the playoffs and win games. The goal has been the same all year, and that’s to win a championship. That’s been my mindset. If called upon, that’s what I’m doing.”

It’s certainly not ideal but with Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph both suffering season-ending injuries, the Steelers don’t have much choice. And Lynch does have pedigree, despite being the biggest bust in Denver Broncos history.

Drafted 26^th overall in 2016 — one pick after the Steelers selected Artie Burns — Lynch started four games and completed 79 of 128 passes (61.7%) for 792 yards, with four touchdowns and four interceptions for the Broncos.

But John Elway chews up and spits out quarterbacks not named Peyton Manning, and Lynch lost the starting job to Case Keenum and the backup job to Chad Kelly. When the Broncos claimed Kevin Hogan off waivers, they cut ties with Lynch in September 2018 and are eating $1.87 million in dead-cap space.

The Steelers signed Lynch after Rudolph was concussed against the Ravens, with Tomlin noting that what made Lynch most attractive was his practice-squad eligibility.

That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. But this is: Banner said Lynch has impressed his teammates with his arm strength and athleticism, squeezing passes into tight spots between defenders, in places he shouldn’t and most couldn’t.

“He does stuff … in practice that we’ll be like, ‘Whoa,’” Banner said. “There was one time we did it so much that Coach T literally said, ‘Y’all better stop acting like you’re shocked. There’s a reason this dude was drafted in the first round.’”

There’s a reason Lynch completed 21 of 31 passes for 254 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2017 season finale. He has talent. Accuracy and consistency are concerns, as well as the time off. That also was his last regular-season appearance in the NFL.

Then again, the Steelers have some history at the position when it comes to winning with a Broncos first-round castoff. Remember Tommy Maddox? He was out of the NFL for three years before making a comeback, first with the New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena Football League before winning MVP honors with the Los Angeles Xtreme of the XFL.

Lynch said he was a Steelers fan growing up and remembers Maddox winning both the XFL’s Million Dollar Game and Super Bowl XL with the Steelers.

“Everybody’s journey is different,” Lynch said. “Some people’s careers start off hot and they continue to have good careers the whole time, and some guys’ careers start off slow and their career takes off. I’ve always believed in myself. I’ve always had confidence in myself that I’m going to get to where I want to go, and that’s how I’ve always worked.

“I know that the culture here doesn’t change, the mindset doesn’t change. We’re trying to win a championship so if I’m called upon, that’s my mindset: I’m going to do what I can to help this team win.”

If the Steelers break glass and play Lynch, they have to hope he looks like the dude who shows why he was a first-rounder and maybe even one who makes them go whoa.

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