The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2026 NFL preseason with a loaded quarterback. Pittsburgh has four quarterbacks capable of making the roster with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, seasoned backup Mason Rudolph, second-year signal-caller Will Howard, and rookie Drew Allar.
Keeping four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster is not something teams are not included to do, so some difficult decisions could be on the horizon for Pittsburgh.
After the team was shutout in Friday’s Week 2 preseason game for the first time in a decade, the conversation of whether the team should keep Howard or Allar came back to the forefront, but could the team decide to keep both?
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the Steelers areset on keeping both young quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, because it is unlikely they would clear waivers thanks to their incredible upside.
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Steelers Set On Keeping Young QB TalentAug 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy talks with quarterbacks Drew Allar (16) and Will Howard (18) during warm ups for a game against the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Dulac wrote, “There will be one more preseason game to determine how many quarterbacks Steelers coach Mike McCarthy will keep on his 53-man roster. But he doesn’t need another game to know this: Will Howard and Drew Allar will be on the team.
“That decision was reached even before Friday night’s 17-0 preseason loss against the New York Jets, team sources told the Post-Gazette. It didn’t even matter that both Howard and Allar failed to perform like they did a week earlier when they had the town buzzing. They will be kept when the Steelers reduce their roster to 53 players after Thursday night’s preseason finale in Buffalo.”
If both Allar and Howard will be on the 53-man roster, many have to wonder what that could mean for the future of Rudolph in the Steel City. Yes, Rudolph has the experience as a backup, but would the team really want to use four spots on the quarterback position?
Rudolph did not play in Week 2, so that could mean one of two things: he has the QB2 spot locked up or the team is keeping him healthy to use as trade bait as teams around the league make their final roster cuts. If that’s the case, the Steelers are playing a dangerous game at one of the most important positions.
Only time will tell what ultimately happens in Pittsburgh, but the team’s insiders appear confident that the team is ready for a youth movement under center, and head coach Mike McCarthy has confidence in the talent coming through the Steelers’ pipeline.
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