Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich enters training camp as the top backup behind Ben Roethlisberger, and the expected starter while Roethlisberger serves a six-game suspension to begin the 2010 regular season.

Dennis Dixon, last year's top back-up to Roethlisberger, would like more first-team reps, John Harris of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

"I would say yes. Everybody would like to take the first-team reps," Dixon said. "Once you get your shot, you want to show that you can get it done. I'm pretty sure there will be a point in time when that happens. It hasn't right now."

Jeffrey Sperbeck, Dixon's agent, doesn't know why his client is behind Leftwich on the depth chart.

"I think Dennis should be given an opportunity to start," Sperbeck said. "He's been there going on three years. He knows the offense. He's familiar with his teammates. He's ready to go.

"I don't understand why after Byron's been gone a year, they would bring him back and start him ahead of Dennis. To me, it should have been Dennis' job as the No. 1. He was No. 2 last year. Byron was not even in the picture."

Dixon (6-3, 209) made his 1st NFL start last November against the Baltimore Ravens, completing 12-of-26 passes (46.2%) for 145 with a touchdown and an interception in the 20-17 loss. In two pre-seasons' worth of action, Dixon has struggled with his accuracy (51.4% completion percentage), but hasn't turned the ball over.

Sperbeck adds that more first-team reps will boost Dixon's confidence level.

"That's such an important part of a young guy's development," Sperbeck said. "When you bestow the confidence in him that he is the guy, now the team knows that and they are prepared to follow him. Without the team giving that to him, it's more difficult for any quarterback to lead when your own status is uncertain. You lead differently as a starter than you do as a backup."

With Roethlisberger suspended for a significant portion of the regular season, head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians are right to play it safe by entering training camp with an experienced quarterback like Leftwich at the top of the position's non-suspended depth chart. If Dixon wants to change that, he'll have an opportunity to do so throughout the 2010 training camp and pre-season.

As admirable as Sperbeck's defense of his client is, publicly bemoaning the lack of a promotion isn't doing Dixon any favors.