Steelers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph look to throw during training camp at Saint Vincent College, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Latrobe.
When he was asked at the start of training camp if keeping four quarterbacks was an option, coach Mike McCarthy didn’t hesitate with an answer.
“I don't know why it wouldn't be,” he said.
McCarthy has never kept more than three quarterbacks on his 53-man rosters at Green Bay and Dallas. That is typically the norm for most NFL teams. But there is a growing possibility that could change this year. And it won’t be the first time it has happened with the Steelers.
Unless Will Howard plays himself out of a roster spot in the preseason — and there has been no indication of that — the Steelers are not prepared to move on from him or rookie Drew Allar. Not when Aaron Rodgers said he is definitely retiring after the season.
Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones works through drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Latrobe.
And they don’t want to get rid of Mason Rudolph, who McCarthy said has opened his eyes more than any player at training camp.
But Rudolph is a free agent after the 2026 season, which conceivably would leave the Steelers with only two quarterbacks under contract. And their desire is not to bring in another veteran starter. Rather, they want to develop and find out if Howard or Allar can be the quarterback of the future.
And one preseason may not be enough time to make that decision. And that decision could be made based on the immediate future of the franchise, not the 2026 season.
Granted, the situation could change if there is an injury and a quarterback has to be placed on injured reserve. But it is not uncommon for an NFL team to keep four quarterbacks, especially when drafted rookies are involved.
The Cleveland Browns kept four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster last year because of similar circumstances — they had two drafted rookies they didn’t want to cut, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Before that, the previous team to keep four quarterbacks was the 2021 New Orleans Saints, although Taysom Hill also played other positions. Other teams who have kept four on the roster were the New York Jets, who did it in 2020 and 2016; and the 2018 Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers even did it in 1995 when coach Bill Cowher kept four quarterbacks on his 53-man roster — Neil O’Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller and rookie Kordell Stewart. And that decision was made before Cowher decided to use Stewart, their second-round draft pick, as a wide receiver.
Steelers fullback Riley Nowakowski warms up during OTAs at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Friday, May 29, 2026, in Pittsburgh.
The thinking goes like this:
Quarterback is not only the most important position on the team, it’s the most important in professional sports. Why not keep an extra person at that position at the expense of, say, a 10th defensive back? Especially when a promising rookie is involved.
And so it is with the 2026 Steelers.
The idea of cutting Rudolph, leaving the position with two backups who have never played in an NFL game, does not seem plausible. However, the Steelers did that in 2018, Rudolph’s rookie season, when they cut Landry Jones, Ben Roethlisberger’s top backup, and kept Joshua Dobbs, who also had never appeared in an NFL game.
McCarthy said the other day Rudolph is the one player who has been more impressive in person than what he saw on tape when he took the job.
“I can't tell you how pleased I am with him,” McCarthy said. “The experience that he's gained, I think, is incredibly valuable to us. But the footwork is different. [The] throws are better than I knew. Just like anything in the quarterback room, you really don't know until you stand next to them or you're out there on the field, really how each guy throws the ball.”
When told of McCarthy’s comments, Rudolph said, “You always want to try to make a good impression on a new coach. There's been a lot more like structure and detail with the footwork, like very meticulous – ‘Hey, this drop goes with this concept.’ I just wasn't being taught or coached that.
“So, I love the structure because I think it really times up the different concepts we have. I think my feet have cleaned up a bit. I've enjoyed working with coach. He brings a level of expertise that I just have not been around. And I didn't have a quarterback coach my first two years.”
First Published: August 9, 2026, 12:42 p.m.
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