With 92 career NFL games — 77 of those starts — Ramon Foster is the Steelers’ most tenured offensive lineman. The wide majority of that experience has been with Ben Roethlisberger as his quarterback.

But with Roethlisberger listed as questionable for Sunday after another limited participation practice session, Foster described his feelings on Landry Jones, in line to make his first pro start at Kansas City.

“We’re looking forward to him being under center,” Foster said Friday on the South Side. “He’s composed himself in a good way this week. … He’s been very humble about it. He’s come to work, he’s flying under the radar like a young guy should.”

Jones declined to speak with the media for a second consecutive day, so I asked Foster about Jones’ strengths and how the quarterback uncertainty affected this week’s preparation:

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Maurkice Pouncey’s second surgery on his broken left fibula went smoothly, a source close to the situation told DKPittsburghSports.com late Thursday night, but he’s anything but a lock to rejoin the Steelers this season.

The surgery, performed at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., involved removing some hardware from his initial surgery two months ago, as well as an irrigation and debridement of an infected area and a specialized wound dressing to the foot, according to the source. The fibula is healing as expected, but, the source cautioned, returning from the infection itself is seen as highly uncertain.

Pouncey’s fibula was broken during an Aug. 23 preseason game against the Packers at Heinz Field. He was placed on the injured reserve designated to return list, meaning he remained eligible to play in 2015, but that was before the infection forced the second surgery.

Mike Tomlin’s most recent remarks on Pouncey came in his Tuesday news conference, when he expressed confidence his All-Pro center will return.

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Call it another dry run.

While some of his teammates loudly played trash-can basketball a few feet from his locker, Alejandro Villanueva calmly answered media questions, raising his voice only when necessary to stay above the din.

Not exactly the stress level of playing left tackle in one of pro sports’ noisier venues, but still impressive. The true examination comes Sunday afternoon, as the 27-year-old rookie is likely to start in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium when the Steelers face the Chiefs.

Villanueva replaced the injured Kelvin Beachum in the second quarter of last Sunday’s win over the Cardinals at Heinz Field. Todd Haley said that experience was constructive, but can only do so much against the likes of Chiefs rushers Tamba Hali, Justin Houston and Allen Bailey.

“He was in there for two-and-a-half quarters and in some critical moments,” Haley said Thursday on the South Side. “That being said, it’s a different deal going to Arrowhead and … going against, really, some of the best pass rushers in the game. We’ll get a real feel for where he is this week.”

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Ben Roethlisberger was listed as a limited participant in the Steelers’ practice Wednesday afternoon on the South Side, but two of his offensive cohorts were unrestrained about seeing their No. 1 quarterback increase his workload, as he’d said he would this morning.

“It was good hearing his voice in the huddle,” Le’Veon Bell said. “We’re all obviously really excited, but we’ve got to see where his knee is.”

Roethlisberger tried out a handful of braces for his sprained and bruised left knee, but, Martavis Bryant said, it didn’t affect his accuracy in 11-on-11 drills.

“Great to see him back out there,” the second-year receiver said. “He looked great. He was dropping the ball in my hands.”

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Ben Roethlisberger sounded guardedly hopeful Wednesday morning, as he described his approach toward the next three days of training on the South Side. Ultimately, though, he left his status for Sunday’s game at Kansas City at Mike Tomlin‘s feet.

“I’m just going to go out there and practice and give it everything I have, and let him make the decision,” the quarterback said. “I’m excited to get out there and do a little more.”

Roethlisberger said he is on a regular routine of cardio and strengthening the muscles around his injured left knee, but he hasn’t really pushed it yet:

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Mike Vick‘s injured hamstring is of nebulous severity and Ben Roethlisberger‘s knee continues to heal, but Mike Tomlin said the Steelers will handle practice this week as if Landry Jones will make his first NFL start Sunday at Kansas City.

“We’re just simply going to play it by ear,” Tomlin said Tuesday afternoon on the South Side. “I think it’s prudent and appropriate right now to operate under the assumption that Landry is our quarterback this week. He is the guy that’s healthy. … We’re going to focus on getting Landry ready.”

Tomlin added that the progress of Vick and Roethlisberger will be monitored from day to day, and their readiness for the game day roster will be determined by “their ability to protect themselves and their ability to perform.”

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Although he was never active for a regular-season game until this year and had never taken a meaningful snap until Sunday afternoon, Landry Jones remained on the Steelers roster.

His 8-for-12 relief appearance in the win over the Cardinals showed some indication why the Steelers kept him around, but the former Oklahoma passer put more emphasis on the simple joy of competing than performance.

“It was just fun to get back out there and play again,” Jones said as the media crushed around his locker Monday afternoon on the South Side, a scene that amused several teammates and his head coach.

“Never thought I’d see the day,” Mike Tomlin boomed while walking through the room.

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