Roethlisberger Steelers
Roethlisberger Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have any question about who their starting quarterback will be this season. However, they’ve still got some things to figure out at that position, mainly how many signal callers they’re going to keep. They have four currently, but teams don’t usually carry that many on their 53-man roster. That’s left Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar in a battle. While neither Howard nor Allar impressed in last week’s preseason game, Ben Roethlisberger thinks Pittsburgh can’t afford to let go of either of them.
“Going into [preseason] Week 3, it’s too close to call,” Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his Footbahlin’s podcast. “It’s neck and neck… That’s why, this week, I want to flip-flop their positioning and their playing time and who they play with…This week, to me, will be big to see what happens. If I’m a coach or a GM, I’m doing everything I can to keep both of them. I’m keeping both of them.
“I don’t think you put either one on practice squad because I think someone will scoop them up. You’re either keeping all four or you try to put Mason on practice squad and see if you can find a way to keep him, too… What I’ve seen from those two, somebody’s gonna snatch them up. No way they clear waivers.”
It’s easy to say that the Steelers should part ways with Rudolph. He’s been in the league since 2018, and he’s a known commodity at this point. His ceiling is capped and he’s not going to be the Steelers’ quarterback of the future.
Meanwhile, Howard and Allar provide a little more hope. While both of them have major flaws, they’re both young, so there’s a chance they could develop into quality NFL starters.
However, that is far from guaranteed. Howard was a sixth-round pick, and few quarterbacks selected that late end up panning out. Allar has a higher ceiling because of his physical attributes, but his mechanics are a mess. Neither of them seems ready for real NFL action yet.
That was evident in the Steelers’ latest preseason game. It was a big test for Howard and Allar, with Mike McCarthy sitting Aaron Rodgers and Rudolph to give the young quarterbacks all of the playing time. However, they both struggled. Howard completed 10 of his 15 pass attempts for 74 yards and two interceptions, while Allar completed 11 of his 23 pass attempts for 110 yards.
Allar didn’t have any turnovers, and he also played the entire second half, so he had lesser players around him than Howard, who started the game. Therefore, it feels fair to say that Allar had the better game.
Both quarterbacks showed out in Pittsburgh’s first preseason game, so the team’s preseason finale will likely mean a lot for both of them. McCarthy said that no final decisions about the 53-man roster have been made yet.
Don’t count Rudolph out, either. Sneaking him onto the practice squad won’t be easy if that’s what the Steelers ultimately try to do. He’s a proven veteran backup, and other teams could have interest in him.
Allar and Howard struggling last week likely helped the veteran quarterback, too. If Rodgers misses any time, Pittsburgh might not be comfortable turning to either Allar or Howard. They’ll both need to finish this preseason strong though Allar’s roster spot is all but secured.