One of the biggest storylines for the Pittsburgh Steelers entering training camp is the quarterback competition. But it has nothing to do with Aaron Rodgers, who will be suiting up for his final NFL season as the team’s starter. Instead, it’s about who will be backing him up.
The Steelers enter training camp with four quarterbacks — Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar. And this might not be an easy call for Mike McCarthy and his staff to make.
If it were up to him, they’d be keeping all four.
“…We’re hoping Omar (Khan) can get the roster expanded to 55 and we can keep four (QBs),” McCarthy said back at OTAs.
However, NFL rosters will remain capped at 53.
So, who will end up being the odd man out?
Steeler Projected To Make Bold QB Decision
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor recently projected the Steelers’ 53-man roster, and it ended up being Rudolph who got the axe, despite both Howard and Allar not having an NFL snap as of yet.
“It’s undoubtedly risky to go into the season without a veteran No. 2 quarterback to back up a 42-year-old starter, but the Steelers need to know what they have in both Howard and Allar before next year’s draft,” Pryor wrote. “The organization could be in a position to draft a first-round quarterback out of a strong class, but they need to see how Howard and Allar stack up first. Keeping both of them on the roster to develop them — and potentially step on the field if Rodgers gets hurt — allows them to get a complete evaluation ahead of a pivotal draft.”
Rodgers was going to put the Steelers in a pickle one way or another this season. If he didn’t return, that left Rudolph, Howard and Allar to battle it out for the starting job. At least then, there would be a good chance all three would see the field this season. But with his return, there’s no guarantee either Howard or Allar will see the field unless it’s in garbage time.
With Rodgers retiring at the end of the season (presumably), it’s tough to tell what the future holds at the quarterback position in Pittsburgh. But it’s likely Rudolph isn’t going to be a part of it.
Rudolph signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal last year to come back to Pittsburgh. If cut, he’ll be a $1.622 million dead cap hit, per Spotrac.
Drew Allar Officially Signs Rookie Deal With Steelers
The Steelers made it official on July 24, as Allar signed his rookie contract with the team. He was one of the last remaining rookie quarterbacks to sign his deal.
Allar is set to be a pet project for McCarthy, who is known to get the best out of his quarterbacks.
Allar has just about all the physical tools you can ask for at 6-foot-5, 228 pounds. It’s his mechanics that need some work, which is where McCarthy and the Steelers’ staff come in.
In his four years at Penn State, Allar threw for 7,402 yards, 61 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Being selected No. 76 overall in the third round came as a bit of a shock. It may have been then that Rudolph’s days were numbered. Time will tell as training camp begins soon.
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