Three Positions Steelers Can Cut to Keep Four Quarterbacks

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty riding on their second preseason contest against the New York Jets. Multiple position battles headline the remaining preseason games, with the biggest remaining question to answer pertaining to the quarterback position.

The young Steelers quarterbacks will be center stage in their second preseason contest, giving Will Howard and Drew Allar the chance to force Mike McCarthy’s hand. With a strong showing, this roster might just end up with four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster.

While Howard fights for his life with the Steelers, veteran Mason Rudolph is comfortably waiting for the regular season, where he will be the primary backup to Aaron Rodgers. But if they keep four quarterbacks, that will ripple out and impact the rest of the roster construction. These positions specifically will be the first ones affected if the team decides to keep all four QBs on the roster.

Running Back

If four quarterbacks stay on the roster, the first offensive position that will be hit is running backs. The team will carry three for their regular season opener, and those three are most likely to include Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle and veteran Travis Homer.

Ordinarily, keeping a fourth is an easy decision. But with players like Kaleb Johnson, Lew Nichols and Eli Heidenreich battling for that spot, the staff might decide that position is the easiest to cut down on.