Ben Roethlisberger isn’t hiding where he stands on the Steelers’ quarterback situation. The former Pittsburgh starter and two-time Super Bowl winner said he wants the team to hang on to both Will Howard and Drew Allar rather than risking either one slipping away.
“If I’m a coach or a GM, I’m doing everything I can to keep [Will Howard and Drew Allar],” Roethlisberger said on Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. “I’m keeping both of them.
I don’t think you put either one on practice squad because I think someone will scoop them up. You’re either keeping all four or you try to put Mason on practice squad and see if you can find a way to keep him, too.”
That take didn’t land cleanly with everyone, especially given the well-known strain between Roethlisberger and Rudolph. For some fans, that history makes his view on Rudolph’s place in the room feel a little shaded.
The Steelers have already seen a mixed preseason from the young quarterbacks. Howard had a rough Week 2, throwing two interceptions while playing the entire first half. Allar followed with 11-of-23 passing for 110 yards in the second half, while Rudolph sat out the night.
Pittsburgh now wraps up the preseason Thursday against the Buffalo Bills before the roster cutdown decisions begin. Howard and Allar will get one more chance to make their case at the new Highmark Stadium, and while neither is expected to start anytime soon unless Aaron Rodgers is hit by unforeseen injury, the question of what the Steelers do with their depth behind Rodgers is the one worth watching.
In Other News...
Giants Linked To Costly Answer For A Major Secondary Need
The Giants have been floated as a possible solution for a secondary that needs help, with Bleacher Reports Alex Kay laying out a trade idea that would send 2027 second- and sixth-round picks to Pittsburgh in exchange for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. It is the kind of proposal that speaks to both teams priorities: New York looking for a long-term upgrade on the back end, and the Steelers weighing the value of a young defender who has already established himself as part of the future.
Porter is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is seeking an extension, which makes any conversation around his future more complicated than a simple draft-pick swap. For Pittsburgh, the question is not just what Porter is worth in the market, but whether a deal like this would even be worth considering if the cornerbacks next contract is not already lined up. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Tomlin Could Soon Be Back In The AFC Spotlight
Mike Tomlins name has a way of surfacing whenever an NFL franchise starts looking for a cleaner, bigger answer at coach, and now the Jets are the latest team linked to him. According to Jason La Canfora, New York is expected to pursue the former Steelers head coach in its next hiring cycle, with owner Woody Johnson said to be open to stepping away from his usual preference for first-time coaches if the job opens up.
For Steelers fans, the more interesting part is the company Tomlin is being mentioned with. There is already speculation tying the Jets and Tomlin to Lamar Jackson, who is expected to seek a trade in 2027 if contract uncertainty lingers, which only adds to the sense that New York could be preparing for a much larger reset. For now, it is still a rumor trail more than a finished plan, but it is the kind that keeps Tomlin in the AFC conversation long after the season ends. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Have A Tough Linebacker Decision To Make
Carson Bruener has spent the preseason doing exactly what a late-round linebacker needs to do, make the decision harder than the team expected. The second-year Steelers defender and seventh-round pick has drawn strong marks from Pro Football Focus, and his work on defense and special teams has helped push him into a real conversation for a roster spot heading into the season.
Pittsburgh already added Elandon Roberts to the mix, which made the linebacker room feel crowded enough, but Brueners rise has changed the math again. With several players vying for limited roles, the more intriguing question may no longer be whether Bruener has done enough, but who becomes the casualty if the Steelers decide his preseason has earned him a place. [Read more 🡒]