PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers’ return to Pittsburgh provided a definitive answer to one of the NFL’s most significant offseason questions. But it also created another one in the Steelers’ quarterback room: How many signal callers will new head coach Mike McCarthy keep and what will the pecking order be?“We’ve definitely got four that we love,” McCarthy said. “You always have to develop the room. That’s always been the approach, so we’re hoping Omar (Khan) can get the roster expanded to 55 and we can keep four.”Unfortunately, the roster is capped at 53, and the Steelers already have many other tough decisions at other positions, making four QBs a luxury they probably cannot afford. It appears the stage is set for a competition that will likely continue through training camp and potentially all the way to cut-down day.Mason Rudolph or Will Howard?At one point in the offseason, it was fair to wonder if these two quarterbacks could be competing for the starting job if Rodgers chose not to return. But after the Steelers drafted Drew Allar and signed Rodgers, there’s still an apparent battle between Rudolph and Howard — only now a roster spot could be on the line.“(Adding Allar) is just to improve the room, to continue to improve the Pittsburgh Steelers as a whole,” Howard said. “I’m excited to compete with all the guys we have in the room, because it’s a fun room. And at the end of the day, you’re competing and you’re trying to make everybody better.”Through the first two OTAs, Howard took the pseudo second-team reps. However, McCarthy cautioned that he “wouldn’t” put a ton of stock into the current QB rotation just yet.
Steelers have a QB competition — one with immediate and long-term consequences
Mike McCarthy and the Steelers have decisions to make behind Aaron Rodgers on the depth chart.












