The Pittsburgh Steelers descended upon St. Vincent College in Latrobe on Tuesday, as they prepare for their first training camp without Mike Tomlin at the helm in two decades. New head coach Mike McCarthy will get the chance to show what he brings to the table, and his reunion with quarterback Aaron Rodgers only amps up the intrigue.
Speaking of McCarthy and his QB, one of the biggest questions that fans have been begging to get an answer to this offseason is who will ultimately be the primary backup QB this season. 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard has received plenty of praise from McCarthy ever since he was introduced as the Steelers' next HC, but Mason Rudolph is still on the roster after serving as the backup last season.
Add in third-round rookie Drew Allar to the mix, and it's obvious that Pittsburgh has some tough decisions to make. Allar isn't going to compete for the backup job, but he obviously isn't getting cut either. That means whoever loses the No. 2 QB battle is destined for the chopping block, right? Not so fast, says McCarthy.
While meeting with the media on Day 1 of camp, the Steelers HC seemed to think keeping four QBs on the 53-man roster is very possible, saying that "I don't know why it wouldn't be (an option)."
Mike McCarthy appears open to the idea of keeping all four QBs currently on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster
On the surface, the idea of carrying four QBs on the 53-man roster sounds like a waste. Some teams don't even carry three, depending on the makeup of their roster. That spot could go to a backup offensive lineman, core special teams contributor, or a number of other players who could see the field for a reason other than just injury.
If the Steelers did keep all four of Rodgers, Rudolph, Howard, and Allar, it would put general manager Omar Khan in a bit of a bind. He chimed in on the idea on Tuesday as well, and he sounded less thrilled about the idea without shutting it down completely.
"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 last part about keeping the "top" 53 guys is important. If you have to go to your third or fourth QB at any point in the season, it's likely already too late. If everything goes reasonably well, you would hope that even whoever ends up as the No. 3 QB never sees the field, let alone No. 4. Fans may not love it depending on who wins the backup role, but cutting either Rudolph or Howard still feels like the right move. Only time will tell if the Steelers think differently.
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