In a day that started with a downpour of rain during team stretches, it turned into a very productive practice on Day 2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers OTAs. New head coach Mike McCarthy got his second opportunity to begin working with players in what he reportedly described as “the most important part of the season.”
Part of that work is in his area of expertise with the quarterback room, as every coach on the staff knows there is a lot of potential among the four quarterbacks. However, a pecking order behind starter Aaron Rodgers will need to be decided sooner rather than later between Mason Rudolph, who has been the subject of recent trade rumors, Will Howard and third-round pick Drew Allar.
Steelers OTAs Day 2: Mike McCarthy Reflects on Congested Quarterback Room
McCarthy Wishes Keeping All Four Quarterbacks Was an Option
One thing was made clear during Wednesday’s media availability after the Steelers OTAs concluded: keeping four quarterbacks on their roster is not an option. It was always a pipeline dream for Steelers fans who had this belief, but McCarthy has now confirmed it won’t be happening. One of them will ultimately be cut, and while not explicitly stated, the goal would be for that player to clear waivers and return to the practice squad.
“We have four. We’ve definitely got 4 we love,” McCarthy told Chris Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday. “You always have to develop the room.”
The love for all four quarterbacks led McCarthy to have a vision for the future of roster construction.
“We’re hoping Omar (Khan) can get the roster expanded to 55 (players) and we can keep 4,” McCarthy joked. “It’s a deep room, and it’s important having 4 guys who can play.”
Pittsburgh won’t have this luxury this year, so all eyes will turn to training camp and the preseason when the organization decides between Rudolph and Howard, who did not see any game action as a rookie.
McCarthy Was Complimentary of Both Mason Rudolph and Will Howard
Making a decision on who will join Allar and Aaron Rodgers on the active roster is going to be a tough decision for McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan. He has yet to say anything negative or even neutral about anyone in the bunch and spoke highly of Rudolph and Howard on Wednesday afternoon.
“Mason’s played a lot of football,” McCarthy told Brendan Howe of Steelers Now. “And I’ll say this about Mason: I’m extremely impressed with him. When you get veteran players — particularly quarterbacks — you know the old ‘Can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ (saying). And that’s not the case with him. “He’s been very receptive towards the footwork training. Boy, he really throws it better than I realized.”
McCarthy was just as complimentary toward Howard.
“I remember Kansas State,” McCarthy told Carter and members of the media. “But watching the college playoff run, I remember talking to Omar about the quarterbacks. I was just so impressed with him in the playoffs. He’s a national champion, that goes a long way. He got better and better during those playoffs.”
McCarthy also revealed on Wednesday that Howard is getting reps at Steelers OTAs ahead of Rudolph due to the latter having more experience and not needing the reps. Many fans interpreted it as Rudolph being ahead in the pecking order, but the truth was quickly revealed.
Aaron Rodgers’ Return Provides a Confidence Boost for Steelers
Rodgers spoke to reporters on Wednesday for the first time since he signed his contract for the upcoming season. During his press conference, he revealed to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor what everyone speculated: he was ready to walk away after last season and only returned once he knew McCarthy would be the coach.
Having Rodgers back and ready to go for Steelers OTAs eliminates the negative headlines, as nobody knew when exactly he would return. According to McCarthy, it also gave the rest of the roster a morale boost to help increase productivity.
“You see the reaction in the building … everyone was extremely excited when the decision became official,” McCarthy told Carter. “It’s great to have him back. Just like any process, especially where he is in his life, there was a lot of conversation that went on — particularly the past 5-6 weeks. Being here for OTAs was what I was looking for and what he was looking for.”
The Steelers will return to the field on Thursday for Day 3 of OTAs before giving the players a four-day break for Memorial Day weekend.
