After Aaron Rodgers officially re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a new one-year contract, many are now questioning how the quarterback room will take shape. The team currently has four quarterbacks on the roster, including two young players with clear potential.
Mason Rudolph appears to face an uphill battle to secure his spot this season, while both Drew Allar and Will Howard will need to earn their long-term job security.
It is uncommon for a recent third-round pick to face real concern about losing his job so early in his career. Allar was selected 76th overall by the Steelers, which typically suggests a strong chance of remaining on the roster regardless of his performance in training camp or the preseason. However, NBC analyst Chris Simms believes Pittsburgh should not allow Allar to feel secure in his roster spot.
"I wouldn't be shocked if it was the other way around," Simms said when it came to Howard potentially having less heat than Allar. "For all the things you said about Drew Allar. It's raw. That's why I couldn't get behind the pick."
Simms shouldn't expect Allar to step onto the field and make major strides in his development this season.
He is a project player, and the Steelers understood that when they selected him in the draft. The coaching staff is essentially rebuilding his game from the ground up. That process will take time, but Simms believes Allar could become the odd man out if Pittsburgh chooses to keep three quarterbacks on the roster.
Chris Simms predicts Pittsburgh Steelers could cut Drew Allar after Aaron Rodgers return
Moving on from such a high draft pick just months into his professional career would be a bold decision. That is the surprising prediction from Simms, and it is difficult to envision a scenario where it actually happens. Everyone understood that Allar was a long-term project entering the draft, and the Steelers are fully aware that his development will take time.
Simms raises a valid point regarding Allar and how he fits into this season’s roster.
The rookie is not yet ready for meaningful NFL action, and he may not be the ideal option as the third quarterback either. Allar would benefit from a full season of development before getting a chance to see the field. That perspective likely explains why Simms believes Will Howard and Mason Rudolph should remain ahead of the rookie on the depth chart this year.
"But the throwing motion, the drops, the offense he was in, it's all bad." Simms continued, "He could be so raw that they get through training camp and they go, they can't make him the third either."
When it comes down to it, Pittsburgh may be forced to carry four quarterbacks on the roster. Simms believes they could cut Allar and place him on the practice squad, but that scenario seems unlikely to work. Another team would likely take a chance on him and sign him to its active roster. His raw traits are too intriguing to ignore, which is exactly why the Steelers selected him in the third round.
Both training camp and the preseason will play a key role in shaping how the quarterback room unfolds.
At the moment, it appears that Will Howard and Drew Allar have the inside track to back up Aaron Rodgers on the depth chart. That would leave Mason Rudolph as the likely odd man out, although he still has a chance to retain a spot. Simms made a bold prediction, but it is difficult to see Allar losing his job anytime soon.
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