During Monday’s pre-NFL Draft press conference, new Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy made his thoughts known about the size of his quarterback room.
“I believe in having three. Potentially, we’d love to have four if we can make one work on the practice squad,” McCarthy said.
After drafting Penn State product Drew Allar on Friday in the third round, now they have four: Allar, Will Howard, Mason Rudolph and Aaron Rodg….
Well, technically, they still only have three. Rodgers still hasn’t signed a contract (that we know of) to be the Steelers’ starting QB in 2026. However, the front office keeps acting like it’s an inevitability.
Let’s use that as a starting point to have a broader conversation about what this draft pick of Allar really means — and what it doesn’t mean.
• It means that a return of Rodgers for 2026 is in doubt now: No, it doesn’t.
“I don’t believe that (Allar) has any impact on Aaron,” Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth said after Allar was picked.
As we mentioned, McCarthy is open to having four quarterbacks. Most of the NFL passed on Howard five or six times in the draft last season. He’s still never thrown a pass in NFL competition. He’s talked about a ton in Pittsburgh. He’s probably been forgotten about in many other markets.
If Allar proves himself to be better than Howard by the end of training camp, they might be able to sneak Howard onto the practice squad. Or, they can cut/trade Mason Rudolph and add a cheaper journeyman to the practice squad if they really want a fourth that badly.
None of that has anything to do with Rodgers’ presence at the top of the depth chart. The only Rodgers-related connection to Allar’s presence is if Rodgers flakes. If he doesn’t sign/retires, then at least the Steelers will have three quarterbacks under the tent before they’d likely add a veteran of at least minimal pedigree.
• It means they’ve been full of hot air about Will Howard the entire offseason: Yes, it does.
But, c’mon. We all kinda knew that anyway, didn’t we?
The Steelers drafted Allar before they addressed offensive guard, any defensive position, or a much-needed second wide receiver.
You don’t do that at pick No. 76 for a guy you think is worse than a sixth-rounder from a year ago. Right or wrong, Allar was a priority for them, not a whim.
Allar may not be better than Howard now, but he could be.
Based on their other needs and the presumption of Rodgers’ return, this is a luxury pick in the year 2026.
Steelers QB coach Tom Arth on what new Steelers QB Drew Allar needs to improve on to excel in the NFL pic.twitter.com/jvcdHOwfom
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) April 25, 2026
That said, the team loves Allar’s talent even more than the picture it has painted of the cozy, safe, responsible upside that Howard possesses.
“He’s 6-5, 235 pounds. He has big hands,” Arth said of Allar. “When you’re talking about the quarterback position, ‘Can this guy throw the football?’ I think he throws it as well as any quarterback in this draft class. He has an effortless arm. He can make every single throw on the field, and he’s a better athlete than, I think (he is) given credit for.”
Plus, the organization — and the team itself — are really high on their own supply when it comes to McCarthy’s ability to turn any moderate QB prospect into a potential starter.
• It means the end for Mason Rudolph: It doesn’t.
It might. But I don’t think it has to go that way.
It’s tough to keep any quarterback of note on the practice squad because they are easily plucked away. If teams are QB-starved enough to burn third-round picks on Carson Beck (Arizona) and Allar, any mildly attractive QB who is sitting on a practice squad is likely to be stolen.
As a result, it’s going to be hard to keep Rudolph and both of the young QBs, along with Rodgers (whenever he signs). I suppose you can have four on the active roster, but that’s essentially wasting a spot in the name of holding Howard or Allar for next year.
Rudolph could still make the team if they get through the preseason and Howard is clearly the fourth-best quarterback on the roster. That could make the former Ohio State Buckeye expendable. By then, the club could admit to itself that this offseason campaign to pump Howard’s tires was mainly done to build confidence in the locker room and the fan base that there was hope if Rodgers didn’t sign.
• It means they are giving themselves some cushion if they can’t swing a QB pick next year: It does.
The franchise is hurtling toward 10-8 again. They’ll likely be drafting in the low 20s again next April. And we just saw how unable (or unwilling) general manager Omar Khan was to move up the first round when it made sense this year.
Certainly, for a quarterback next year, he’ll be more inspired to do so. The problem is that if there are more quarterbacks to be had, prices will be higher, and fewer teams will be willing to trade down.
A potential world exists in which Rodgers finally retires, Rudolph moves on, and Allar, Howard and “mid-tier-veteran QB X” are on the roster for 2027.
A year ago, we all thought that after one season of Rodgers, the Steelers would have their quarterback of the future in place for 2026, even if he wasn’t the starter.
They don’t. And it’s not a lock that they will in 2027.
Howard and Allar may be battling it out for second, third or fourth on the depth chart this year. The stakes could be higher for both of them in 2027.