Steelers QB Answer is Getting Clearer

Leaving Saint Vincent College for the last time, one thing is clear: the Steelers believe they have quarterbacks. Two of them. Maybe even three.

Mike McCarthy took the podium dressed in his Steel City hat for the final time at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He addressed the injury to Max Iheanachor and where the team stands as it leaves camp and heads back to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex to begin the final stages before the regular season.

He spoke the most about the quarterbacks, though. Glowingly. About how impressive Will Howard and Drew Allar's growth has been, and how Mason Rudolph looks like a quality veteran, and how Aaron Rodgers and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth are feeding into the young guys and helping.

"Well, number one, I think it's real important because I was that guy a long time ago, that quarterback coach is important in this process," McCarthy said. "Tom Arth does an outstanding job, but it's a room. There's a philosophy of how it's done. It's been in place a long time. Tom has played in that philosophy, and now he's coaching in it. Having Aaron in there is incredible. Every day he wakes up, he contributes to not only today, but the future of our quarterback room. That's a very unique opportunity to have in the quarterback room. I think the young guys, Mason included — I know he's nine years in or so, but it's really unique to be able to ask questions about a specific concept or footwork or a read, and you're talking to the guy that has 20,000 reps over his whole career in this offense. I'm actually going right from here to meet with the two young quarterbacks. So, we're going to have a meeting and just some things we want to talk about for this week"

His words reminded us of the spring, when McCarthy spent a lot of time talking about Howard and how impressive he is as a quarterback prospect. Now, he's seeing it firsthand, and it's becoming real that everything he said could (and may already be) a reality.

"I just remember the first time I sat down with Will [Howard], shortly after I got the job. I think he's clearly done everything that's been asked of him," McCarthy said. "He's changed his body. I think when he left here at that time, came back for offseason program, you could see the effects of the training and then took another step in the five weeks off. So, I think he's very athletic. There's a lot there to work with. Football comes very natural to him, so he's definitely grown a lot and he'll continue to grow. I just think the experience of having two veteran quarterbacks in the room, with Aaron [Rodgers] and Mason [Rudolph] and he's got some other experience surrounding him too, that obviously we're sharing. Drew [Allar], just my first encounter with him was at the Combine. His face was beet red and we were rocking and rolling and had a good football conversation. But I was impressed with him in Indianapolis, and I looked at his first impression that he made in the rookie orientation. Everybody here was there. I thought he did a really nice job and handled the volume that we threw at him and the amount of throwing we asked him to do on that weekend, and then the next hurdle jumping into the OTAs. They’ve improved a lot."