The Pittsburgh Steelers have settled on an unusual answer at quarterback, and it sounds like the plan is to keep all four guys.
With the final roster still more than 24 hours away, the team is preparing to carry Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar on the 53-man roster in 2026. The only real caveat is Howard’s head injury, which could still complicate things before the deadline.
Head coach Mike McCarthy was asked whether keeping four quarterbacks is the expectation, and he didn’t exactly dodge it.
"Very accurate evaluation on your part."
That’s the clearest sign yet that the Steelers are headed into the season with a crowded quarterback room. It’s rare to see a team devote that much space to one position, but Pittsburgh appears willing to do it while it searches for its next long-term answer.
Rudolph is expected to be QB2 behind Rodgers, and the Steelers’ reasoning for keeping him is straightforward. He stood out during the spring and summer, and McCarthy was reportedly surprised by how well Rudolph performed in his short time with him. The team views him as a dependable backup with some untapped upside.
Howard’s preseason wasn’t clean - he threw three interceptions - but Pittsburgh is still optimistic about where he’s headed. The team also isn’t ready to declare Allar as the future franchise option, so rather than pinning everything on one young quarterback, the Steelers seem intent on keeping two prospects in the mix.
That leaves Howard as the likely third quarterback and Allar as QB4.
On game days, both young quarterbacks are expected to be inactive, with Howard serving as the emergency quarterback.
For now, it doesn’t sound like the Steelers are looking at a season-long shakeup at the position. Unless someone other than Rodgers gets a chance to start and struggles, there doesn’t appear to be much reason to alter the depth chart.
So unless something changes in the next day, Pittsburgh’s quarterback room is set: four passers, one clear starter, and a team still trying to buy itself time until it finds the next franchise quarterback.
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