Training camp is the time of year when we get to dig into the roster and talk about some names we don’t always get to focus on. With 91 players fighting for 53 spots, there is a slew of competition for the Pittsburgh Steelers roster once we get to July.
While the occasional starting battle is always notable, the brunt of the battles deals with backups and depth spots. Who can be the first player off the bench, a core special teamer, and who can just squeak onto the roster during any given training camp?
However, Steelers fans are ignoring one major training camp battle, and there could be some noteworthy consequences once the dust settles here.
I’m talking about the quarterback room, and specifically the battle for the third quarterback on the roster.
No one seems to make much mention of this. The national media doesn’t care about a third quarterback when so many NFL teams only carry two to begin with. The local media and fanbase have already awarded rookie Will Howard as the de facto winner.
This is an asinine assumption. The team is carrying four quarterbacks into camp, and unlike in years past, all four have a legitimate chance at making the roster.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could have a notable quarterback battle on their hands
Aaron Rodgers will be the starter this season while Mason Rudolph will be the backup. From there, the third-string job will come down to the aforementioned Howard and veteran Skylar Thompson.
Let me be clear, Thompson isn’t some sort of dynamic talent. He is a middling option for any team that you can use as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option for a team.
That said, he has NFL experience and hasn’t fallen out of the league there. There is enough there for him to have stuck around on rosters for a few seasons. That gives him an advantage right off the bat.
READ MORE: Steelers are on the verge of a training camp crisis nobody saw coming
This isn’t even the first time Thompson and Howard are battling, either. They were both rostered at Kansas State a few seasons ago, and Thompson actually won that battle. Their college careers were vastly different, but neither was heavily sought after as draft prospects.
Late-round quarterbacks fall out of the league all the time. Howard is no lock to make the team as a sixth-round pick. He certainly has to earn his spot on the roster as opposed to it being given to him.
I get the hype around him; most expected Howard to go early on day three and potentially even as high as the third round. That being said, NFL teams, including the Steelers, passed on Howard multiple times. There are clearly some issues with his game.
Now, if Howard comes in and tears it up (like some fans seem to be expecting), it won’t be a question if he makes the roster. However, if he has some typical rookie struggles, Thompson’s experience could give him an early edge.
Simply put, Howard can easily lose this battle. And if he does, the odds are he is on a different team in 2025. It would be surprising to see the Steelers carry a fourth quarterback on the practice squad.
No one seems to be talking about this battle, but Steelers fans should be. If Howard can’t outplay Thompson, not only could he miss out on the active roster, but he may also not be in Pittsburgh at all. He needs to prove himself early in camp, and if he doesn’t, the results could be dire.