A previous report indicated that the Pittsburgh Steelers would not carry four quarterbacks on their active roster for what allegedly will be the final season of Aaron Rodgers’ playing career.
During a Monday appearance on Pittsburgh radio station 102.5 WDVE, Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggested that head coach Mike McCarthy could keep the team’s quarterback room of Rodgers, longtime backup Mason Rudolph, 2025 rookie Will Howard and 2026 third-round draft pick Drew Allar intact.
Are Steelers planning to have four quarterbacks on their Week 1 roster?
“The more I think about it, the more I hear Mike McCarthy talk about it, I will not be at all surprised if they keep all four quarterbacks,” Dulac said about the situation, per Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot.
Rodgers is firmly cemented atop Pittsburgh’s depth chart, and McCarthy has no reason to give up on Allar before the prospect plays in a meaningful game. That said, the fact that Allar may be viewed as a project for the future has led outsiders to assume that either Howard or Rudolph will be the team’s QB2.
“I think a lot of it depends [on] how respectful and loyal they want to be to Mason Rudolph,” Dulac explained. “If Will Howard looks impressive in the preseason, then you just rubber-stamp him on the team. And then it comes down to, do you want to move on from Mason Rudolph?”
How Will Howard reportedly improved during springtime practices
Howard is an unproven commodity after taking zero in-game snaps during his debut NFL season. However, numerous reports shared throughout the spring made it known that McCarthy and Co. liked what they saw from Howard over the past couple of months.
“What you notice of Will Howard is how much smoother from Year 1 to Year 2 he is running what he’s running,” Dulac added, according to Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot. “Whether that’s his footwork, whether it’s rolling out, his throws, whatever. Will Howard looks very good — he does. And again, we’ll wait and see until another team is coming at him and another team is giving him different looks, even though it’ll be the preseason. But I will say, Will Howard, he has not looked like a guy who’s flummoxed or doesn’t know what he’s doing. He looks pretty calm out there and pretty sure of himself.”
The Steelers open their preseason with a home game versus the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 13. How Howard plays in that matchup could help determine whether or not Rudolph is still with the Steelers by the time the Labor Day holiday weekend arrives.