All eyes in Pittsburgh turn to Latrobe, as the Pittsburgh Steelers have reported for training camp. Many fans will now focus on the Steelers’ quarterback battle behind starter Aaron Rodgers. Other positions are still up for grabs, but the signal-caller competition will be the focus.
Steelers Quarterback Battle Receives Updates Ahead of Training Camp
Most insiders and fans alike expect the Steelers to part ways with one of their quarterbacks, former Ohio State Buckeye Will Howard or journeyman veteran Mason Rudolph. Head coach Mike McCarthy joked at OTAs earlier in the offseason that he wished the roster would expand so all four quarterbacks could stay.
McCarthy did not get his wish, but Khan didn’t necessarily shut down the idea of having four quarterbacks on the roster in his introductory press conference Tuesday ahead of training camp.
“Is it realistic? Is it doable? I mean, sure it is,” Khan said when he addressed reporters. “We’ll see … where we are in 3 weeks. We don’t know how things are going to shake out, but obviously we want to keep the top 53 guys that are going to help us win this year.”
Breaking Down Omar Khan’s Answer
Khan has been around the league long enough to know the Steelers would lose Howard if they placed him on waivers in hopes of adding him on the practice squad. Any team in the league that needs quarterback depth, such as the Arizona Cardinals, would quickly claim him.
However, he reiterated the idea of the Steelers doing what they need to do to win games in 2026. If they believe parting with either quarterback gives them the best chance to do so and allows them to keep a Swiss-army knife player like Eli Heidenreich, then the organization will do just that.
Mike McCarthy Reveals Thoughts on Steelers Quarterback Battle
McCarthy also addressed reporters on Tuesday ahead of training camp, and it was only a matter of time before he was asked about how quarterback reps would be divided behind Rodgers. His answer will not be what Howard supporters want to hear, but it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
“Aaron will take the 1s, Mason will start out with the second group, Will and Drew will take the third. … That’s the way we’ll start,” McCarthy told Pittsburgh Steelers Now reporter Alan Saunders in Latrobe.
This is a change from OTAs, though, as Howard received the second-team reps back in May. However, it is traditional for the more experienced backup quarterback to take the second-team reps in training camp before shifting things as camp goes on in the Steelers’ quarterback battle.
The new Steelers head coach later doubled down on his support of keeping all four quarterbacks.
“I don’t know why it wouldn’t be. … That’s why you have camp,” McCarthy told Saunders when addressing reporters. “That’s why we’re up here, to compete … I think all four of those guys, if you were picking the team today, would be part of that (53-man) conversation.”
Steelers Quarterback Battle Expected to Last Entire Preseason
Some members of the Steelers’ preseason roster will learn their fate as early as August 14, after the first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. However, the quarterback battle is expected to go up until the deadline to trim the roster to 53 players.
Quarterback battles do generally go down to the wire, as head coaches and general managers want to give the players as many reps as possible to showcase their skills and how they handle certain situations. Khan and McCarthy won’t be any different in how they handle the Steelers quarterback battle between Howard and Rudolph, both of whom are well aware that a roster spot could be on the line.
Main Photo Courtesy of Barry Reeger – Imagn Images
