Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is seriously geared up to do something absolutely wild: keep four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster. This isn’t just some rumor floating around, McCarthy himself said that evaluating all four QBs as having earned spots would be “a very accurate evaluation.” Let that sink in.
McCarthy’s Bold, Uncharted Territory
Look, this isn’t just a big deal for the Steelers, it’s a huge shift for McCarthy. The man has been a head coach for 18 seasons, and he has *never* kept four quarterbacks before. Ever. He’s been hinting at this possibility all August, dropping “bread crumbs” that suggested it was coming. McCarthy told ESPN.com he feels “good about the quarterback room,” and that he’s “been saying it for quite some time, and they’ve shown it on the field. We got two veterans that we can win with, and we got two young guys that we’re excited about the future.” This move flies in the face of what the rest of the league has been doing for over a decade, with most teams opting for fewer QBs. Back in 2025, 19 teams had two quarterbacks, 13 had three, and *zero* had four on Cutdown Day. The last team anyone believes kept four was the 2021 Saints. So, McCarthy is not just bucking his own trend, he’s going against the grain of the entire NFL. Talk about a statement!
The Young Guns Making Their Case
This whole situation really highlights the value McCarthy sees in the younger guys, Will Howard and Drew Allar. Howard took the first-half snaps in the final preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, a tough 28-27 loss. He also started the second preseason game. Against Buffalo, he completed 9-of-15 pass attempts for 69 yards, threw two touchdowns, but also had an interception and took three sacks. He even got evaluated for a possible concussion during and after the game. Not a perfect night, sure, but the potential is there. Then there’s Allar. He had a strong camp and preseason, too. In that same game, he completed 9-of-18 passes for 88 yards and didn’t take any sacks, though his last-minute comeback bid fell short with three straight incompletions. Allar, a third-round rookie, was pretty much a lock for the roster, but Howard’s performance, even with its tough moments, has clearly caught McCarthy’s eye.
Why This Makes All Kinds of Sense
You might think a fourth quarterback just takes a roster spot from someone else. And yeah, technically that’s true. But when you’re talking about the 53rd man, who’s probably inactive most weeks anyway, are we really going to quibble over that when you could be stashing a future starter? Mason Rudolph, currently looking like the clear backup to Aaron Rodgers, is a free agent next spring. By keeping Howard and Allar, the Steelers could be proactively grooming what might be their top two quarterbacks for *next season*. In a league that’s always griping about QB development, this is an incredibly thorough approach. It’s a clear sign McCarthy sees real, tangible value in both Howard and Allar, enough to break his own long-standing pattern and go against the league’s trend. This isn’t just a depth chart move; it’s an investment in the Steelers’ future, big time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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