Steelers Fake QB Injury is Too Far

The Pittsburgh Steelers have four quarterbacks on their roster and don't know how many they'll keep, or which of the four they're going to keep, in 2026.

Drew Allar and Aaron Rodgers are likely locks as Rodgers returns for his final NFL season and Allar is a third-round rookie and the first QB drafted to Pittsburgh by head coach Mike McCarthy.

That leaves Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. The debate on which of the two they will and should keep continues to heat up, and won't slow down until the preseason comes to an end, and it's brought up a way for the team to keep all four quarterbacks - technically.

The talk amongst the Steelers fanbase, and even some media, is a "ghost injury." The Steelers will want to keep both Howard and Rudolph and to do so, will put Allar on Injured Reserve with the slightest tweak of an ankle or pull of a muscle. His entire 2026 season will then be spent "nursing" his injury and working with the QBs during meetings and off the field.

It's hit the point where people are using this as a logical outcome for the Steelers' quarterback room, and frankly, it's a wild theory to be carrying around.

Why Steelers Won't Do This

Yes, Mike Tomlin kept Howard on IR for most of the 2025 season despite Howard being healthy before the final roster cuts had to be made. The decision came because Skylar Thompson looked good during the preseason and the team wanted to keep him and Rudolph on the roster, but didn't want to put Howard on the practice squad.

It's different this year.

Howard didn't have a future in Pittsburgh under Tomlin. He was the backup for years to come, eventually replacing Rudolph. Allar isn't viewed the same way.

McCarthy doesn't want to waste a year of Allar. If the rookie were on IR, he wouldn't be able to practice, which gives McCarthy zero film to evaluate him and no opportunity to work in person on his mechanics.