Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is known for keeping a tight quarterback room, having never carried four signal-callers on a Week 1 active roster. However, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, that long-standing pattern could break in Pittsburgh this season as the team balances win-now protection with long-term franchise development.
Speaking on “Good Morning Football,” Pryor detailed how McCarthy’s approach to quarterback evaluation and development is shaping the Steelers' roster strategy heading into the regular season.
“Mike McCarthy, it’s never too early to play mind games, and he was not going to give us any kind of heads up about the exact playing time for these guys,” Pryor noted regarding the preseason rotation between Will Howard
and Drew Allar. “And you know Mike McCarthy has never had four quarterbacks on his Week 1 53-man roster, but I really think that that could change this year.”
Do the @steelers have one of the most interesting quarterback rooms? 👀@bepryor gives insight on the backup QBs pic.twitter.com/kOhJOnjN5L
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) August 27, 2026
A central driver behind this potential shift is McCarthy’s commitment to his signature “quarterback school,” which will expand once the preseason restrictions ease. When asked if carrying four quarterbacks might stall Howard and Allar’s development due to limited practice reps, McCarthy shot the idea down immediately.
“Mike McCarthy was like, ‘No, not at all.’ And he pointed out, good news is in the regular season, there’s no time constraints for practice,” Pryor said. “He’s like, ‘I can have them before practice. I can have them after practice. That quarterback school is really going to ramp up.’ They have got to find the quarterback of the future. And if it’s either Will Howard or Drew Allar, they need to work with them and develop them as much as possible.”
Additionally, veteran Mason Rudolph provides essential security behind 42-year-old starter Aaron Rodgers. With a notable developmental gap remaining between Rudolph and the rookies, Pryor feels holding all four gives Pittsburgh both immediate injury insurance and a dedicated runway for future growth.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why Mike McCarthy may break pattern to keep 4 quarterbacks
