You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo …
Nolan in New Ken, @nolan_in_NK: Good day to you, Joe! As we sit today, what is your ideal Steelers QB depth chart for Game 1?
Starkey: Good day to you, Dr. New, and I don’t believe I have said “Good Day” to anyone, ever, in my life. So this is exciting. The Steelers’ quarterback situation? Not so much.
I’m still expecting Aaron Rodgers to return, which will prevent Mike McCarthy from pouring enough into his two quarterback projects — Drew Allar and The Great Will Howard.
Here’s what I project, as we sit here today:
1 — Rodgers
2 — Mason Rudolph (I doubt the Steelers go into the season with two novices backing up Rodgers, should he return)
3 — Allar
4 — Howard. Maybe they keep four, though I doubt it. Howard could be practice-squad bound.
Here is my “ideal” depth chart, although it’s only “ideal” under the current circumstances, which call for the Steelers to find out what they have at the position before the 2027 draft.
1 — Rudolph
2 — Allar
3 — Howard
Let Rudolph ride for a few games, and once that goes south, let the auditions begin.
RB7501, @RB75012: Mr. Starkey, you correctly predicted Steelers would pick Allar on Friday. If Rodgers ever shows up, does Howard become the practice squad quarterback?
Starkey: Yes, I have felt for a long time that the Steelers would take Allar in the third round, Dr. 75012. I never bought the over-the-top praise of Howard, and Allar seemed to fit the mold of what the Steelers believe is an “AFC North quarterback.”
And yes, Howard might well wind up on the practice squad. My understanding is that if the Steelers try to put him there, he’d have to clear waivers — though I am often surprised by loopholes, so don’t quote me on that — and the claiming team would have to put him on their 53-man roster.
Josh Howard, @jhow2687: Is McCarthy this true QB whisperer he’s made out to be? I give the man Aaron Rodgers and credit for making Aaron Brooks competent in NO. But attributing Joe Montana to McCarthy is like saying Lemieux was developed by Eddie Olczyk. I guess we’ll soon find out with Allar and Howard.
Starkey: I think that’s a little overblown, Dr. 2687, but McCarthy did help Rodgers fulfill his potential as maybe the most physically talented quarterback who has ever lived. Nobody’s saying that about Allar or Howard, although Allar has everything you’d want from a talent standpoint.
Dak Prescott was already a 30-touchdown guy when McCarthy arrived in Dallas. Brooks became a decent player under McCarthy’s tutelage. That is inarguable. But here’s the thing: You don’t have enough time or reps to develop two project quarterbacks. I think we’d all settle for one — and what if McCarthy still doesn’t know what he has by next year’s draft. Do the Steelers draft a quarterback in the first round?
So again, the Steelers should really dedicate this season to finding out what they have in Allar and maybe Howard. But they probably won’t. And even if they tried, it would be quite a feat to take on two quarterback projects and allocate the proper time and maintenance to each.
McCarthy would become an all-time miracle worker if he developed both. What would that even look like? How would we know if only one played?
Ed Helinski, @MrEd315: Which Steelers draft choice decision, if any, had you scratching your head or maybe muttering under your breath?
Starkey: The decision to call Makai Lemon before the previous pick was completed was quite interesting, Dr. Helsinki, although I’m sure glad to hear that team president Art Rooney II said he wanted the tackle, anyway.
After that, it has to be Allar. My preference would have been to wait until next year, when the quarterback class is more top-heavy, and the Steelers might be able to move up higher, either by losing more games or making a trade.
That said, listening to Penn State associate head coach Terry Smith on my radio show with Bob Pompeani on Monday, I’m at least wavering a bit. Maybe, as Smith suggested, Allar’s issues were more about James Franklin and the offense than Allar himself.
Let’s put it this way: I’m open-minded. They drafted him. They might as well try to develop him. They should make that a priority, in fact.
Taylor, @Taylor72815844: Joe, love your show. If the Pens can pull this off, and it’s a big “if”, how much of a feather would it be in Sid’s/Pens history’s cap? Cup like? Bonus: Rank the following: Moosehead Lager, Foster’s Lager, Genesee Cream Ale.
Starkey: It would be one of the great feats of his career, for sure, Dr. 72815844, and I would imagine one of the more satisfying, as I wrote about this morning. Meanwhile, the Flyers continue to take cheap shots at him after the buzzer.
Your other question:
1 — Genny Cream
2 — Genny Cream
3 — Genny Cream
Yuno Ball, @OG_Brands: If the Steelers decide to pour their “QB Development Resources” fully into Drew Allar, what kind of draft capital could the Steelers fetch for Will Howard? If Rodgers returns, I’d imagine the backups would be Allar and either Mason/Veteran FA.
Starkey: I’m not sure the rest of the NFL thinks of Howard the way the Steelers claimed to, and the way a lot of fans seem to. He lasted until the sixth round in a weak quarterback class last year and has not taken a meaningful snap since. What changed?
I think you’re correct about the division of labor at quarterback, with Howard likely going back to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Red Hot Steelers Takes, @thebubbasq: Is it possible that Omar posted a, (ahem), dubious draft to force a hard reset by tanking 2026 season?
Starkey: No. In fact, most observers gave the Steelers decent grades on their draft. The optics were horrible with the Lemon situation, and some of the picks seemed questionable, but I have seen no one who has panned this draft. The worst grade I saw was Pro Football Focus giving it a C . That’s above average. I loved getting C-pluses in high school!
The Steelers have been a C-plus organization for about a decade now, so why would you expect anything less (or more)?
BigDTigerBurgh, @TigerBurgh9798: Hi Joe, why does the NHL allow this to happen to its biggest stars (shows video of Travis Konecny cross checking Sidney Crosby from behind after the buzzer Monday)?
Starkey: Great question, Dr. 9798. I wrote about the Flyers taking shots at Crosby this morning. It’s been a pretty vicious series all the way around, not unlike some of the other ones happening.
Some of that is just playoff hockey. Some of it is way beyond, and injuries are sure to follow. Remember when Jacob Trouba took out Crosby with an elbow to the head? The NHL looks the other way, I guess in favor of some mythical old-school definition of what playoff hockey should be.
Oakmont_Member, @Double_D_72: If the Penguins win this series I might invite you and Pomp to Oakmont. You can bring that real bald dude that’s on in the afternoon to round out the foursome.
Starkey: That’s a deal, and yes, I’m sure Mullsy would be happy to join us.
Burke O’Toole, @BurkeMan513: Doctor Starkey, has Nicky G done enough to become the everyday third baseman? I have seen enough of Jared Triolo.
Starkey: Yes, I absolutely believe Gonzales has earned that job, Dr. 513. You are correct. He leads the team in hitting (.323), has delivered a number of clutch hits and is fielding the position just fine.
Triolo brings a valuable element as an excellent defender, but he is not a starting-caliber player.
Skip Bittman, @skip_bittman: Why were Khan and McCarthy talking to media while teams were wheeling and dealing at the end of Round 1? Maybe they could’ve added one of the top tier receivers in addition to Imax.
Starkey: It seemed odd, to put it mildly, Dr. Bittman. Couldn’t they have waited a few minutes?
What if somebody called with a late offer they couldn’t refuse? Maybe I’m missing something, but that did seem strange.
J, @Crossland895: Greetings Joe! The Steelers made a few nice moves to jump up in the draft and grab Bernard and Dunker, happen to think those guys are nice players. But did the Steelers do enough with their draft capital? Should they have been more aggressive in the first round?
Starkey: Yes, they should have, Dr. 895. I felt going into the draft that they should be ultra aggressive and go get either Caleb Downs or Vega Ioane. Both were there for the taking.
Largie Condios, @waywaylarge: Favorite sports books, non-fiction? Fiction?…Thank you.
Starkey: No, thank YOU, Dr. Largie. Let’s start with “Season on the Brink” — John Feinstein chronicling Bobby Knight at Indiana for a season — and then go to “Showtime” — Jeff Pearlman’s look back at the 1980s LA Lakers.
Also, “Tales from the Pittsburgh Penguins Locker Room” by Joe Starkey. That one is available on Amazon, last I checked!
Rit, @Ricktactoe: If Aaron Rodgers comes back, could this be one the most incompetent and embarrassing moves in organization history?
Starkey: That might be stretching it, Dr. Toe, but how are they going to develop one or possibly two project quarterbacks if Rodgers is back? It makes no sense.
Gooseheimer2023, @gooseheime83054: Greetings Dr. Starkey. Allow me to be a cynic but do you honestly think if Eli Heidenreich or Alex Tecza went to HS in Indiana or Texas or to NA or Central or USC and not the same HS as the Assistant GM they get drafted or invited to rookie camp?
Starkey: What’s it matter, Dr. 2023? The Heidenreich pick was the best moment of the entire draft, by far, and it’s not like he can’t play. He said he was already committed to another team as an undrafted free agent — which is right after the seventh round, obviously — when the Steelers called and took him in the seventh round.
Obviously, then, other teams were thinking of him right around that time, correct? Come on, bro. I can be a savvy old cynic myself, but not here. Not with this pick!
Tecza is an undrafted free agent. He’ll get a shot. I think that’s pretty cool. And what harm does it do?
Ron Edward, @RonaldEdward24: Based on what you’ve seen so far, do you feel better about the Steelers’ chance to win a playoff game this year, or do you feel the same or worse?
Starkey: The same, quite obviously, Dr. 24. They are bound to finish 10-8 after another horrific playoff loss, then perhaps draft another project quarterback in 2027.
And thank you for asking.