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Landry Jones saw his first regular-season NFL action last week.
Now, it looks as if he will make his first start this week.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that his team will prepare for Sunday's game against the Chiefs at Kansas City as if Jones will be the starting quarterback.
Starter Ben Roethlisberger has been out since spraining the medical collateral ligament in his left knee Sept. 27 in a win over the Rams at St. Louis.
Backup Mike Vick suffered a strained right hamstring in last Sunday's 25-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
"I think it's prudent and appropriate right now to operate under the assumption that Landry is our quarterback this week," Tomlin said. "He is the guy that's healthy."
Jones had been the third-string quarterback since being drafted out of Oklahoma in the fourth round in 2013. He played well against the Cardinals, completing 8 of 12 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
"We were not shocked by his performance, but we were pleased by it," Tomlin said.
The Steelers (4-2) have gone 2-1 without Roethlisberger. However, Vick has struggled, completing 40 of 66 passes for 371 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Offensive coordinator Todd Haley called more low-risk plays for Vick, who signed as a free agent at the end of the preseason when backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski was placed on injured reserve with a hand injury.
The Steelers, though, will likely open up the offense more if Jones starts. He had extensive action in the preseason as he played five games rather than the normal four because of the Steelers appearance in the Hall of Fame game.
"He took advantage of those reps, like we all talked about during the course of the preseason, but regular season is different from the preseason," Tomlin said.
Seattle's slow start confounds Carroll
When Pete Carroll struggled as a head coach during his first stint in the NFL, and when Southern California was in its rebuilding phase during his early years in Los Angeles, there was a talent gap that explained some of the shortcomings.
That is why Carroll, above all others in the Seattle Seahawks hierarchy, is struggling to understand where his current team stands now. A team with starting talent the envy of many in the NFL could at 2-4 be arguably the biggest disappointment in the league through the first six weeks.
"I haven't really been in this kind of situation with a really good team where it felt so much different and the results are flipping," Carroll said.
The Seahawks sit at a crossroads headed into Thursday's game at San Francisco, beginning a critical two-week stretch that will determine where this season goes. Seattle is already facing long odds to reach its goal of making the playoffs. Only 8 percent of teams since 1990 that have started 2-4 ended up playing in the postseason.
Around the league
Cowboys • Dez Bryant's status will be evaluated all week as the Dallas Cowboys decide whether the star receiver can return six weeks after breaking his right foot in the season opener. The Cowboys face the New York Giants on Sunday. Bryant broke his foot in a win over New York. Coach Jason Garrett wouldn't say whether Bryant will practice Wednesday after he worked on the side for the first time since the injury during last week's bye. And while the coach said Bryant was cleared medically for the work he's done so far, Garrett wouldn't say Bryant had final clearance. He also declined to say whether the bone was fully healed. Bryant wasn't available in the locker room when it was open to reporters Tuesday.
Browns • Cleveland waived running back Shaun Draughn, who became expendable when Robert Turbin returned from an ankle injury. Draughn appeared in five games this season. Turbin — a former Utah State standout who played three seasons for the Seattle Seahawks — made his Cleveland debut in Sunday's overtime loss to Denver, gaining 27 yards on 10 carries. Draughn also handled kickoff return duties earlier this season before he was replaced by Justin Gilbert.
Raiders • Return specialist Walt Powell officially reported to Oakland on Tuesday after signing a contract over the weekend. The Raiders rotated players on punt and kickoff returns through the first five weeks. Powell was signed off Buffalo's practice squad late last week when the Raiders were on their bye. —
This week
Thursday
• Seattle at San Francisco, 8:25 p.m.
Sunday
• Buffalo vs. Jacksonville at London, 7:30 a.m.
11 a.m. games
• Atlanta at Tennessee
• Pittsburgh at K.C.
• Cleveland at St. Louis
• Tampa Bay at Washington
• Minnesota at Detroit
• Houston at Miami
• New Orleans at Indianapolis
• N.Y. Jets at New England
Afternoon games
• Oakland at San Diego, 2:05 p.m.
• Dallas at N.Y. Giants, 2:25 p.m.
• Philadelphia at Carolina, 6:30 p.m.
Open: Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Green Bay
Monday
• Baltimore at Arizona, 6:30 p.m.