Steelers Make Final QB Decision

The Pittsburgh Steelers knew they were keeping four quarterbacks for some time now, but the room only became official at 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 30. With the team's 53-man roster finalized, Pittsburgh is set to head into the regular season with each of their passers on the depth chart in Week 1.

The Steelers included all four quarterbacks - Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar - on their initial 53-man roster. This comes after a summer of battling for spots on the team and positions on the depth chart, but ultimately having too big of a need at the position in the future to move on from anyone.

The way Pittsburgh is viewing this right now is that Rudolph provides experience for the team this season to back up Rodgers, while Howard and Allar can develop into something the team will like to have in the future. Rudolph could also be included in the conversation as a starter next season if he continues to impress.

"I feel good about the quarterback room," head coach Mike McCarthy said after the team's preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills. "I've been saying it for quite some time, and they've showed 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."

While the Steelers needed to see their young passers play, they did expect to keep Howard and Allar since the beginning. Rudolph was the one who forced his way onto the roster, impressing McCarthy early in the spring and continuing to grow under him throughout the summer.

By the time the preseason rolled around, McCarthy's mind was made up, and now that decision is official.

Steelers QB Depth Chart

Rudolph will continue to work as the backup quarterback behind Rodgers, with Howard and Allar working as the QB3 and QB4. Neither of the young guys will be active on game day, with Howard likely being the one who dresses as the emergency quarterback.

Next year, the door is open for any of the three to be the team's starter, but don't rule out the team drafting another option. McCarthy's philosophy is to continue drafting quarterbacks until the team finds their next franchise QB. Until then, it's about having options, and next year's draft is expected to have many.

This season, it's about development for Howard and Allar, and finding untapped potential in Rudolph. All while keeping Rodgers on track to chase a Super Bowl. A task McCarthy is excited to pursue, and something the Steelers have been waiting for the opportunity to do the last few years.