The Steelers kept four quarterbacks, declining to expose Will Howard or Drew Allar to the waiver wire. Aaron Rodgers, now in his 22nd season, has never experienced a four-quarterback room.
“I was thinking it was a possibility, but I don’t think I’ve been on a roster with four quarterbacks,” Rodgers said Wednesday, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “Obviously when you do that, you’re taking away a spot from another place in the team. But at the same time, if the best 53 are going to make it -- and not saying they did -- I think those four are part of the best 53.”
The four quarterbacks on the active roster, which include veteran Mason Rudolph, also is a first for coach Mike McCarthy.
This season is unique for the Steelers with Rodgers in his final season, leaving the team with an uncertain future at the position. Rudolph, Howard and Allar could compete for the job in 2027.
“I’m happy for all those guys,” Rodgers said. “Obviously looking to the future, those other three guys are going to have a chance when I’m done. And with the growth you saw with Will and obviously with Drew being drafted so far, but also playing well in camp, I’m not surprised at all and I’m excited about those guys’ future.”
The Packers had a plan with 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love sitting behind Rodgers for three seasons before taking the reins. The Jets had no plan behind Rodgers and started Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook last season before trading for Geno Smith to start this season.
The Steelers drafted Howard in the sixth round in 2025 and Allar in the third round in 2026. Rodgers watched Howard and Allar on television from his home as they played the third preseason game against the Bills last weekend.
“I thought the entire camp, it was never too big for them,” Rodgers said. “They looked really comfortable out there, and I thought they did a lot of good things moving to football, being efficient.
“There’s learning experiences, but you look at my first preseason, it was not pretty at all. I didn’t play good until about the second half of the fourth preseason game. So, they’re definitely ahead of where I was at, and mentally, they’re grasping the offense and the checks and the cans, and I’m really proud about those guys.”
Rodgers, drafted in the first round in 2005, went 20-of-37 for 172 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in four games in his first preseason.
