PITTSBURGH -- In an NFL business that treats fringe roster spots like Airbnb rentals, Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Al Villanueva heard comforting words from coach Mike Tomlin back in 2014.
No matter what happens, we're giving you one year of football stability.
Villanueva flipped that year on the practice squad into a starting role when Kelvin Beachum got hurt, then into a $24 million contract in the summer of 2017.