Roster cuts are always a numbers game, but Mike McCarthy is about to break his own precedent for the first time in nearly 20 years as an NFL head coach. He's never kept four quarterbacks on a 53-man roster in his career, and the signs point to that changing in Pittsburgh this week.
Steelers HC Mike McCarthy said it’s “very accurate” to expect Pittsburgh to keep four quarterbacks on its 53-man roster. More via @bepryor: t.co/i9oFlEnaKt
The comment came after the Steelers' preseason finale loss to the Buffalo Bills, when McCarthy was asked point-blank whether he believes all four of his quarterbacks have earned a spot on the roster. "I think that's a very accurate evaluation on your part, yeah," he said. "I feel good about the quarterback room."
That room is a mix of experience and upside: Aaron Rodgers as the starter, Mason Rudolph as the steady veteran backup, and Will Howard and Drew Allar as the young arms McCarthy is grooming for the future. As McCarthy put it, "we got two veterans that we can win with, and we got two young guys that we're real excited about their future."
Carrying four quarterbacks is a luxury most teams can't afford — that's a roster spot most coaches would rather use on a fifth receiver or extra depth on the offensive line. But Rodgers is reportedly playing out his final season before retirement, which changes the math. Developing Howard and Allar behind him now, rather than scrambling to groom a rookie after Rodgers walks away, is McCarthy betting on the long game instead of squeezing every inch of value out of the 53-man limit.
Final cuts loom, and McCarthy hasn't wavered on the plan, having said days earlier that keeping four quarterbacks "enhances what the regular season would look like." Whether that holds once Pittsburgh has to make final decisions elsewhere on the roster is the next thing to watch.