The New York Jets have signed unrestricted free agent left guard Alan Faneca. The announcement was made today by Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
"Alan is regarded as one of the best offensive lineman in the NFL and we are fortunate to add him to our roster," Tannenbaum said. "We made our interest in him known from the beginning of free agency. In addition to Alan's production on the field, we were just as impressed with the intangibles that he brings to the locker room as well as to the community."
Faneca (6'5", 307), who spent 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, has played in 158 games in his NFL career (of a possible 160 games), starting 153. He has also started 11 postseason games, including Pittsburgh's victory over Seattle in Super Bowl XL.
"Alan has consistently played at a high level throughout his career," said head coach Eric Mangini. "He is a conscientious performer who is smart, physical and excels at playing in space. He enjoys playing the game and will be a source of leadership and toughness. I enjoyed spending time with him and am excited about the attributes that he brings to our team."
The 26th overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft out of LSU, Faneca is a five-time All-Pro and has been elected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls. In his career, he has helped two Steelers running backs, Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker, earn Pro Bowl berths, with Bettis gaining over 1,000 yards four times and Parker three times.
