Steelers keep both Drew Allar, Will Howard behind Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph at QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced their 53-man roster for the regular season on Sunday, Aug. 30 and made the unorthodox move many expected them to while parting ways with some former top draft picks. 

GM Omar Khan and coach Mike McCarthy elected to carry four quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar. Rodgers will start during the 2026 season before retiring in 2027. Mason Rudolph will play out the one year remaining on his deal as the primary backup. Howard and Allar will develop under an offensive-minded coach known for quarterback development. 

The front office also made trades involving former 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones, an offensive tackle, and 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson, a running back. 

MORE: NFL trade and cuts tracker as 53-man roster deadline arrives

Most NFL teams carry no more than three quarterbacks. Some carry two, with an emergency option stashed on the practice squad. 

The Steelers, however, found themselves in a unique position with Rodgers entering his final NFL season. Keeping Rudolph, a battle-tested backup, gives their current roster the best chance to win in the event of a Rodgers injury at some point. 

Keeping Allar and Howard sets up a possible competition for the starting job in 2027 with another year of seasoning under their respective belts. Howard is in his second season after leading Ohio State to the 2024 national title. He had three touchdowns and three turnovers during a preseason of mixed results. Allar was a third-round pick in the NFL draft this past spring. He showed more consistency with four total touchdowns and no interceptions but struggled with accuracy and drops from receivers at times.

Of course, Khan and McCarthy could always opt to add to their mix with a veteran or a top NFL draft pick next year. For now, though, these two seem to be their preferred possible answers to the quarterback question that has dogged the team since Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2021. 

The Jones trade to the Dallas Cowboys was a bit unexpected because he was their most proven option at the position beyond starters Troy Fautanu and Dylan Cook. Max Iheanachor was the team’s top draft pick in April, but he’s gotten limited reps in training camp and the preseason. It appears the team is comfortable enough with what it has seen to make him the swing tackle who can push Cook for playing time. The Steelers sent a fourth-round pick with Jones in exchange for third and sixth round picks in 2027

Johnson was only a Steeler for a little over a year after being selected following an outstanding final season at Iowa in which he totaled 1,537 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. McCarthy deployed him sparingly in two of the preseason games, signaling that he might be in trouble. He’ll now join the Green Bay Packersin exchange for a sixth-round pick. 

Elandon Roberts and Malik Harrison were among the more notable cuts of the day. Roberts signed a few weeks ago after serving as a key run stuffer for former coach Mike Tomlin’s defense from 2023-24. He played for new Steelers DC Patrick Graham last season in Las Vegas. 

Harrison signed a two-year deal last season, but played sparingly in the preseason. He was set to make close to $5 million, so this move frees up a significant amount of salary cap space. 

In addition to Allar, the Steelers decided to keep all 10 of their draft picks. That includes running back Eli Heidenreich, the Pittsburgh-area native and Navy product whom the team drafted in the seventh round this spring. He beat out veterans Lew Nichols and Travis Homer in addition to Johnson to claim his spot. 

On the injury front, Joey Porter Jr. was activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He missed all of training camp and the preseason with a listed back injury, but the team has also acknowledged an impasse in contract negotiations that might have been a factor in his decision to sit out. Starting safety DeShon Elliott was placed on the reserve/injured list and is set to miss the first four games of the season. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steelers keep both Drew Allar, Will Howard behind Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph at QB