Preseason openers are meant to clarify depth charts, yet the Pittsburgh Steelers' 28-9 victory over the Green Bay Packers achieved the exact opposite. Behind starter Aaron Rodgers, backup quarterbacks Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar played flawless football, creating a roster puzzle for head coach Mike McCarthy. The three backups combined for 27 completions on 33 attempts and 313 yards. Rudolph commanded the huddle like an eight-year veteran, Howard made decisive progressions, and Allar unleashed his arm strength with three total touchdowns. Instead of separating themselves, all three proved they belong on an NFL roster. As media analyst Mark Kaboly noted on his podcast “Kaboly & Mack”, the performance did nothing to resolve the positional hierarchy. "I don't think, I mean that I guess one negative about this is we're no further than figuring this out than we were 24 hours ago," Kaboly remarked. "We are no closer to having any idea."
Co-host Chris Mack agreed, suggesting Pittsburgh's front office may be forced into an uncommon roster structure. "No, I think in all honesty, we have to be one step closer to keeping all four if anything after tonight," Mack observed. Carrying four quarterbacks on a 53-man roster requires biting the bullet on a special teams contributor or core reserve. Yet cutting Rudolph sacrifices proven veteran insurance, while waiving Howard or Allar risks losing promising long-term assets to waivers. Kaboly reiterated that Rudolph's steady play makes him indispensable alongside the rookies. "Honestly, I do truly believe if it stays this way, say they all played unbelievable throughout the preseason, I think that just gives you more reason to keep four and not get rid of Mason." With two preseason games remaining, Pittsburgh faces a rare dilemma: a quarterback room far too deep to trim easily. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Preseason QB showcase of Will Howard and Drew Allar leaves Steelers with a massive depth dilemma