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Steelers Legend Ben Roethlisberger Dishes Out Strong Opinion on Pittsburgh's QB Situation 1
Unlike other NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a quarterback quandary heading into the 2026 NFL season. As long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy, the four-time NFL Most Valuable Player will be starting under center for the AFC North franchise in the coming campaign.
Rodgers, who is entering his second season with Pittsburgh after signing a new one-year contract with the team in the offseason, is not coming back for more than one more year beyond 2026, however.
This is really it for the future Pro Football Hall of Famer. He has repeatedly stood firm on that stance.
As it stands, the Steelers have four quarterbacks, which is more than what teams usually carry on their roster. They have Mason Rudolph, Drew Allar and Will Howard.
Of the three, former Pittsburgh franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks Howard and Allar should be the ones the team keeps amid the looming final roster cuts.
Former Steelers Star QB Roethlisberger Sounds off On Team’s Young Signal-Callers Behind Rodgers
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) participates in OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) participates in OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
May 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) participates in OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
“Going into [preseason] Week 3, it’s too close to call,” Roethlisberger said in the Tuesday edition of his Footballin’ podcast (h/t Troy Montgomery of SteelersDepot.com).
“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.”
https://twitter.com/PickensBurgh/status/2092344052821758327
At the end of the day, it’s for Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh only to decide who gets cut and who gets retained for the 53-man roster.
Allar is a rookie taken by the Steelers in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, while Howard turned pro in 2025 after being selected by Pittsburgh in the sixth round of that year’s draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers Drew AllarPittsburgh Steelers Drew Allar
Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (QB02) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images