The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

By Chris Gates | The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

If there was one thing that stood out more than anything from the Steelers’ first preseason game, it was the quarterback play.

And no, I’m not talking about Aaron Rodgers.

I’m talking about what we saw from Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar.

For the first time in what feels like forever, it was actually fun watching the Steelers throw the football. The offense attacked the middle of the field, the ball got distributed to different playmakers, and there was a noticeable variety to what Mike McCarthy was calling. Obviously we didn’t see the entire playbook (nobody shows that in the preseason), but we got a glimpse of what this offense can look like.

Just as importantly, the quarterbacks looked prepared.

Will Howard looked remarkably comfortable

Howard’s performance was probably the most encouraging to me.

Remember, this was his first game action in well over a year after last season’s injury. That’s a long time to be away from live football, especially at quarterback.

Yet, he stepped onto the field looking composed.

He distributed the ball efficiently, never looked overwhelmed, and developed an early connection with Robert Tonyan. Nothing about his performance screamed “rookie who hasn’t played football in forever.”

That’s impressive.

And it’s a credit not only to Howard, but to Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff for getting him ready.

Drew Allar gave critics reason to rethink things

I’ll be honest.

I wasn’t a fan of drafting Drew Allar in the third round.

I liked the player, but I thought the Steelers could have waited. There were other quarterbacks I personally would’ve preferred at that point in the draft.

So I went into this game with some skepticism.

But Allar played well.

He looked calm, spread the ball around, threw multiple touchdowns, and consistently got the football into the hands of receivers who could make plays after the catch.

The biggest highlight was the long completion to Kaden Wetjens, but what impressed me wasn’t necessarily the throw itself. It was that Allar simply recognized the coverage, delivered an accurate football, and let his receiver do the rest.

That sounds simple.

It isn’t.

A lot of quarterbacks struggle with exactly that.

Considering Allar also hasn’t played football in quite some time after suffering a significant injury at Penn State, I thought it was an encouraging first step.

Keep the excitement in perspective

Here’s where I think it’s important to slow down.

These quarterbacks were playing against second- and third-string defenders.

By the second half of preseason games, a lot of the players on the field won’t even be on NFL rosters a few weeks later.

That context matters.

I’ve learned my lesson before.

Kenny Pickett looked like a Hall of Famer during the preseason a few years ago. We all know how that story ultimately played out.

So I’m not going to overreact to one August performance.

But there’s a difference between declaring someone a future superstar and acknowledging that they looked comfortable.

Howard and Allar absolutely looked comfortable.

That’s worth recognizing.

Aaron Rodgers gives the Steelers a luxury they have to protect

The excitement around Howard and Allar has already started the inevitable conversation:

“When should they play?”

My answer? Hopefully not this year.

Aaron Rodgers may no longer be the MVP version of himself, but he still gives this team its best chance to compete for the AFC North and make a legitimate playoff run.

More importantly, he gives two rookie quarterbacks something incredibly valuable: Time.

Mike McCarthy has already talked openly about rebuilding Drew Allar’s mechanics from the ground up. That isn’t a one-month project.

It’s exactly why you don’t want to rush him onto the field.

History is full of talented quarterbacks who were thrown into starting roles before they were ready.

Sometimes development isn’t accelerated by playing.

Sometimes it’s ruined by it.

The Steelers don’t need Howard or Allar to save their season right now.

They need them to become better quarterbacks.

Those are two very different things.

The backup quarterback decision feels pretty straightforward

The more interesting discussion, in my opinion, is what happens behind Rodgers.

Some people have suggested the Steelers should carry four quarterbacks.

I don’t see the value.

Roster spots are simply too valuable in today’s NFL.

To me, the bigger question is Mason Rudolph.

• We know exactly who Mason is.
• We know what he does well.
• We know his limitations.

If Aaron Rodgers stays healthy, Rudolph never sees the field anyway.

If Rodgers suffers a season-ending injury, I don’t think starting Rudolph accomplishes much.

You’re probably not making a deep playoff run at that point regardless.

So why not use those opportunities to continue developing either Howard or Allar?

I’m not saying I’d throw them into the lineup by choice.

I’d much rather let them spend the entire season learning behind Rodgers.

But if circumstances force your hand, I’d rather gain valuable information about one of your young quarterbacks than spend the rest of the year watching a veteran whose ceiling we already understand.

A very encouraging first step

It’s only one preseason game.

Nobody should be crowning Will Howard or Drew Allar after one August performance.

But both quarterbacks passed the first test.

They looked prepared.

They looked comfortable.

They looked like they belonged on an NFL field.

That’s exactly what you wanted to see.

Now comes the hard part: resisting the temptation to speed up the timeline.

Because if the Steelers handle these young quarterbacks the right way, the biggest story from this preseason game might not be what happened in August.

It might be what it eventually leads to a year or two down the road.