Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks had a great showing in the team’s first preseason game. As a result, Mike McCarthy decided that he didn’t need to see Mason Rudolph in Pittsburgh’s second preseason game. Will Howard got the start, and Drew Allar is starting the second half. It sounds like McCarthy is planning on going with that same strategy in the Steelers’ final preseason game, too.
“We’d like to do it this week and probably do the same thing next week,” McCarthy said Friday to Steelers reporter Missi Matthews on KDKA.
Things could always change with injuries or other outside factors altering McCarthy’s quarterback plan. However, it doesn’t sound like he’s keen to rush Rudolph or Aaron Rodgers out onto the field.
In Rodgers’ case, that’s not too surprising. While he said McCarthy wanted him to play in the preseason, Rodgers didn’t sound thrilled about the idea. He sat out the team’s first two preseason games in part because neither DK Metcalf nor Michael Pittman Jr. was healthy enough to suit up. It’s still early, but there’s a chance they won’t be back in time for the third preseason game.
Rudolph sitting out both preseason games is a little more unexpected. He’s a veteran, first entering the league in 2018, so he’s a known commodity. However, it seemed like the Steelers have a competition for their backup quarterback spot. If Rudolph sits out, perhaps McCarthy has decided he has already won that job.
A recent report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac indicated that the Steelers already plan on keeping Howard and Allar. It’s rare for teams keep four quarterbacks. The Steelers could decide to do that, though.
We’ll see if McCarthy sticks with Howard and Allar under center for the Steelers’ game against the Buffalo Bills next Thursday. It would be good experience for both young quarterbacks. Rodgers is retiring after this season, so the Steelers will need a new starter in 2027. Perhaps Howard or Allar can be the answer. However, they both still need to show a lot more to prove that.