Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva finally has a contract.
Villanueva, who had been an unsigned exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, has agreed to a four-year deal with the Steelers, according to ESPN.
It’s been a long road to this point for Villanueva, who played his college football at Army, went undrafted in 2010 and served three tours of duty in Afghanistan. When Villanueva’s military service ended he gave the NFL another shot, first failing to make the Eagles’ roster and then catching on with the Steelers in 2014. After a year on the practice squad, Villanueva became a starter in 2015 and started all 16 games in 2016.
Now the 28-year-old Villanueva has some long-term job security, and the Steelers have some security for Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side.