In the midst of one of the most fascinating stretches of the entire NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers, like every NFL team, have officially finalized their 53-man roster for the upcoming NFL season. Unlike in years past with former head coach Mike Tomlin, the organization has decided to roll with four quarterbacks on the final roster. Behind legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the depth chart will sit veteran backup Mason Rudolph, rookie Drew Allar, and second-year signal-caller Will Howard.
While there was some potential thought that the Steelers might stick with just three quarterbacks and that Howard was battling with Allar for the final roster spot, this was not the case. Fellow Steelers insider Mark Kaboly recently gave his support to Howard after the decision to keep him was made.
Pittsburgh Steelers to Keep Four Quarterbacks
Here is what Kaboly had to say via social media on Sunday evening about the Steelers keeping four quarterbacks and why it was the right choice by the organization to stay with Howard:
“To me, there is zero harm in keeping four quarterbacks, even if Howard didn’t show a ton during his 39 passing attempts of his career during this preseason…Sure, Howard didn’t look like the quarterback of the future, but we’ve seen him play five quarters in his entire pro career. Maybe, just maybe, the Steelers see something more from his countless reps in practice? This is not only possible, but it’s likely.”
There is more to evaluating quarterback play than simply looking at statistics and film of three preseason performances. Keeping Howard on, even though he had the disadvantage in the statistical category against Allar this preseason, was a wise decision by head coach Mike McCarthy. Remember, Howard, a former national champion at Ohio State, has not yet played in any NFL regular-season games, and he still has the clear support of Rodgers. Letting him learn from one of the NFL’s previous top head coach-quarterback duos for a year couldn’t hurt either.
Steelers Roster in Great Shape Despite Keeping Four Quarterbacks
It can be rare for NFL teams to want to keep four quarterbacks on their final roster. This is the case because keeping a fourth quarterback could take away from the depth of another position group. Luckily, in Pittsburgh, it appears as though the Steelers have a solid roster in place, which can withstand the team’s decision to have a deeper quarterback room.
Led by veterans on both sides of the ball, such as Rodgers, fellow 1,000-yard wide receivers DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., All-Pro defenders T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward, as well as veteran kicker Chris Boswell, this team is ready to contend in McCarthy’s first season at the helm in the Steel City. Coming off a division-winning season for the first time in five years, Pittsburgh is built to be in every game now and in the future.
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