Mike McCarthy has already thrown a wrinkle into one of the Steelers’ biggest camp questions.
As Pittsburgh opened training camp Tuesday at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, the new head coach made it clear he’s not treating the quarterback room like a simple one-backup, one-cut decision. With Aaron Rodgers in place and three other passers on the roster, McCarthy said keeping four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster is on the table.
“I don't know why it wouldn't be (an option).”
That’s a notable stance, especially with Will Howard drawing praise from McCarthy since the coach was introduced, Mason Rudolph still in the mix after serving as the backup last season, and third-round rookie Drew Allar also in the room. Allar is not expected to compete for the backup job, but he also isn’t going anywhere.
So the obvious assumption was that the quarterback who loses the No. 2 battle would be the odd man out. McCarthy doesn’t sound ready to make it that clean.
General manager Omar Khan was asked about the same possibility Tuesday and was a little more measured, though he didn’t shut it down.
“Is it realistic? Is it doable?
I mean, sure it is,” Khan told the media." We'll see ... where we are in 3 weeks.
We don't know how things are going to shake out, but obviously we want to keep the top 53 guys that are going to help us win this year."
That final point is the key. Carrying four quarterbacks would almost certainly come at the expense of another roster spot, and in a normal season that kind of decision can feel wasteful. But if the Steelers believe their depth at quarterback is strong enough to justify it, McCarthy has already signaled he’s open to it.
For now, the battle isn’t just about who backs up Rodgers. It’s about whether Pittsburgh even feels the need to trim the room at all.
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