Yet, as the team transitions from rookie minicamps toward mandatory training camps, one glaring question dominates every sports talk radio show in Western Pennsylvania: Which quarterback is going to get cut?
With four viable, high-profile names currently occupying space on the depth chart, the math simply does not add up for the final 53-man roster. Let’s dive deep into the Steelers’ current quarterback situation, analyze Mike McCarthy’s roster philosophy, and break down who is safe—and who is firmly on the roster bubble.
The Numbers Game: McCarthy’s Four-Headed Monster
Historically, NFL teams prefer to carry three quarterbacks on the active 53-man roster, with many opting for just two to save a precious spot for special teams depth or defensive line rotations. However, during recent rookie minicamps, Mike McCarthy turned heads across the league by addressing the depth chart head-on. McCarthy noted that while keeping three quarterbacks is standard business in the NFL, having four capable signal-callers in the building would be “awesome.”
While that sounds ideal on paper, the reality of the salary cap and roster limits means tough decisions are coming. The Steelers’ current quarterback room features:
Aaron Rodgers (The enigmatic veteran superstar)
Mason Rudolph (The reliable, battle-tested backup)
Will Howard (The intriguing young developmental talent)
Drew Allar (The newly drafted third-round rookie out of Penn State)
Carrying all four into the regular season is an luxury an NFL team can rarely afford, especially for a Steelers squad trying to fix an underperforming, highly-paid defense and an offensive line undergoing a massive youth movement.
Safe from the Chopping Block: The Top Two
Before looking at potential cut candidates, we have to establish who is completely safe. Barring an unprecedented medical emergency or an administrative shocker, these two are locks for the 2026 season.
Aaron Rodgers
Despite ongoing rumors regarding his long-term future and retirement plans, Aaron Rodgers remains the undisputed focal point of the Steelers’ immediate championship aspirations. His 2025 campaign proved he still has gas left in the tank, throwing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just 7 interceptions. McCarthy was brought to Pittsburgh specifically to maximize what is left of Rodgers’ window. He isn’t going anywhere.
Drew Allar
You don’t draft a quarterback in the third round (76th overall) just to cut him before Week 1. The Steelers selected the former Penn State standout to be the definitive future of the franchise. Allar possesses the prototypical size and arm talent that Pittsburgh historically craves in a quarterback. He will spend the 2026 season holding a clipboard, learning McCarthy’s playbook, and absorbing everything he can from Rodgers. He is entirely untouchable.
On the Roster Bubble: Who Gets Cut or Traded?
This leaves a direct, high-stakes battle between two players for what is likely the final quarterback spot on the roster: Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.
The Case for Cutting (or Trading) Mason Rudolph
Mason Rudolph has a complicated history in Pittsburgh. He has been benched, vilified, praised, and resurrected more times than most quarterbacks experience in an entire career. When the team needs him to step in and steady the ship, he usually delivers a high floor of veteran competence.
However, because Rudolph is a proven, reliable backup commodity in a league desperate for quarterback depth, he carries genuine trade value. If a rival team suffers a devastating injury to their starter during the preseason, Omar Khan could easily flip Rudolph for a late-round draft pick rather than cutting a player outright. If Pittsburgh decides that they must prioritize roster spots for positions like tackle or secondary depth, moving on from Rudolph’s contract might become an economic necessity.
The Case for Cutting Will Howard
Will Howard represents the ultimate roster conundrum. He has the raw traits to develop into a solid NFL player, but he sits in no-man’s-land on this depth chart. He isn’t ready to start over Rodgers, he lacks the institutional knowledge of Rudolph to act as a seamless emergency backup, and he doesn’t have the high-draft-capital protection of Drew Allar.
If the Steelers decide to strictly stick to a three-quarterback configuration, Howard is the most logical odd man out. The front office’s ideal scenario would be waiving Howard during final roster cuts with the explicit intention of immediately re-signing him to the practice squad. The risk, of course, is that another quarterback-needy team claims him off waivers, losing the asset for nothing.
The Verdict: How the Steelers Will Manage the Cuts
Ultimately, the Steelers’ front office faces a classic balancing act between short-term insurance and long-term asset management.
Expect Mike McCarthy to try and delay this decision as long as possible. The team will likely showcase both Rudolph and Howard heavily during preseason games to build trade value or evaluate if Howard can be safely sneaked through to the practice squad. However, when the deadline to cut down to 53 players arrives in late August, expect Will Howard to be the casualty of the numbers game, as Pittsburgh opts for the veteran reliability of Rudolph and the high-ceiling future of Allar to back up Aaron Rodgers.
