How many quarterbacks will the Pittsburgh Steelers have when they start organized team activities Monday?
Four is the likely answer now, after Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers reportedly agreed to a one-year contract. The 42-year-old quarterback missed OTAs last season by waiting until June to sign, but the timing of his decision this year makes his attendance at the optional workouts likely.
With Rodgers back as the starter, the attention turns to how the workload gets divided among the other three: veteran backup Mason Rudolph, second-year pro Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar.
Coach Mike McCarthy has insisted that four quarterbacks aren’t too many for OTAs, and that developing two young quarterbacks at once is doable.
“I mean, three quarterbacks is the normal. Four would be awesome,” McCarthy said May 9 after rookie minicamp.
Rudolph and Howard split practice reps at the team’s veteran minicamp April 20-22. Allar, a third-round draft pick, was the only quarterback at the rookie minicamp.
McCarthy was long known for his quarterback school, an offseason workout plan he developed beginning in his days as an assistant coach for Kansas City. The school stretched over weeks and involved extensive film study.
Restrictions in the collective bargaining agreement have limited offseason workouts since 2011, making the school more difficult. But McCarthy has said that key elements used in the past are still implemented by him today.
“Oh, they’re all there,” McCarthy said. “It’s all the same. It’s just the time that you have with these guys here at the facility (has changed). This has been going on for a decade.
“You have to have the relationship, the communication with your quarterbacks as they work away from here. I think that’s just today’s NFL.”
The Steelers scheduled OTAs for Monday, Wednesday-Friday, May 26, May 28-29, June 8-9 and June 11-12. Mandatory minicamp is June 2-4.
Sorting out the secondary
“A chess piece” is how Jalen Ramsey’s role was described by new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, hinting that position flexibility will be a strategy used in his defense.
“In our group … be as multiple as possible in terms of having multiple roles,” Graham said in April. “So, defensive back, safety, corner, wherever it may be, (opponents) will find out on Sundays.”
A former three-time All-Pro at cornerback, Ramsey shifted to free safety out of necessity last year when injuries thinned the Steelers’ roster. The secondary was bolstered in the months since by signing free agents Jaquan Brisker at safety and Jamel Dean at cornerback, where Joey Porter Jr. and Asante Samuel Jr. also return. The team also used draft picks on Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette (third round) and Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jenkins (seventh).
Veteran safety DeShon Elliott is working back from a season-ending knee injury but might not be ready to practice yet.
Offensive line decisions
Left tackle Broderick Jones was seen pushing a ball in a May 12 photo posted to the team website, showing that he has taken part in offseason conditioning. Questions linger about his recovery from neck surgery, however, especially after the team used a first-round pick on an offensive tackle.
But regardless of Jones’ status, the offensive line will have at least one new starter next season. Fourth-year pro Spencer Anderson, newcomer Brock Hoffman and rookie Gennings Dunker are potential replacements at left guard, where Isaac Seumalo left via free agency. Hoffman, a guard or center, played for McCarthy in Dallas.
First-round draft pick Max Iheanachor practiced exclusively at right tackle during rookie minicamp, saying coaches told him to focus on that position. Might that foreshadow a move by Troy Fautanu from right tackle to left?
Receiver upgrades
Wide receiver was an obvious weakness that got addressed via trade and the draft, moves the Steelers made to upgrade an offense that ranked 22nd in passing yards last season.
They acquired Michael Pittman Jr. from the Colts and used a second-round pick on Alabama’s Germie Bernard in hopes of bolstering a receiving corp that was overly reliant on DK Metcalf a year ago. Metcalf, Pittman and Bernard are big and versatile, attributes McCarthy has said he covets in pass-catchers.
Their individual roles in McCarthy’s offense remain undefined but should begin to emerge this week. Pittman (6-4, 223 pounds) twice topped 1,000 receiving yards in Indianapolis, and Bernard (6-1, 206) had more than 1,600 yards combined in two seasons at Alabama.
Third-year pro Roman Wilson is seeking a breakout under a new coaching staff, while rookies Kaden Wetjen and Eli Heidenreich could find roles in the receiving game. Special teams standout Ben Skowronek also remains in the mix at receiver.
Backfield timeshare
Running back Jaylen Warren returns as last year’s leading rusher but is joined by free agent acquisition Rico Dowdle, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2024 and ’25.
Who emerges as the lead back? The 27-year-old Dowdle spent five years with McCarthy in Dallas, so he has an edge in familiarity. Last season in Carolina, Dowdle rushed for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns on 236 carries.
Warren handled a team-high 211 carries last season, almost twice as many as former teammate Kenneth Gainwell (114). The 27-year-old Warren had 958 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Dowdle and Warren have similarities. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Dowdle is a little taller than Warren (5-8, 215). As pass-catchers, Dowdle had 40 receptions last season, and Warren had 39.
Plus, each entered the NFL the same way, as undrafted free agents.