PITTSBURGH -- Following the Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason finale Thursday, coach Mike McCarthy said it was a "very accurate evaluation" that all four of his quarterbacks earned spots on the 53-man roster.
Three days later, the Steelers made it official as they trimmed their roster from 90 to 53, rewarding Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar with spots behind starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Also Sunday, the Steelers activated cornerback Joey Porter Jr. off the physically unable to perform list. Porter was placed on the list after aggravating a back injury during a mobility workout on the first day of training camp, but McCarthy recently referred to Porter as dealing with a "business situation" while the 2023 second-round pick and the team worked through a contentious extension negotiation. If Porter remained on PUP, he would have been required to miss the first four games of the season.
In addition, the team placed safety DeShon Elliott (knee) on Injured Reserve but designated him to return. Elliott sustained a season-ending knee injury during the 2025 season, but he worked his way back through the offseason and training camp. He played in the second preseason game, but he missed one day of practice the following week dealing with "soreness."
On the subject of quarterbacks, McCarthy on Thursday night said, "I feel good about the quarterback room. I've been saying it for quite some time, and they've showed it on the field. We got two veterans that we can win with, and we got two young guys that we're excited about the future."
In opting to keep both second-year signal-caller Howard and rookie Allar, the Steelers are giving themselves the best chance to thoroughly evaluate and develop both young quarterbacks -- even if it means sacrificing depth at another position that could have a great impact on the field this season.
"We've talked extensively about the importance of the whole quarterback room," McCarthy said before the third preseason game, scoffing at the idea that a four-quarterback room could hinder the development of his younger players. "And if you have four quarterbacks in that room, especially the quality that we have currently, I think it only enhances what the regular season would look like. ... I'd have six quarterbacks in a building if it worked. I think that would be very healthy for the overall quarterback room with four quarterbacks."
This marks the first time McCarthy has kept four quarterbacks on his active roster entering Week 1 of a season.
Though formal practice reps might be limited, McCarthy pointed to the lack of time restrictions around practices and meetings in the regular season as something that will aid his quarterbacks' continuing education.
"We're not on a time restraint once the season starts, thank God, so we can be able to do more before practice, after practice, so our quarterback school component can kick up some," McCarthy said before the first preseason game.
Each quarterback had a promising debut against the Green Bay Packers, but their follow-up performances fell flat. Against the New York Jets, Howard threw two interceptions, while Allar took three sacks. A week later, Howard threw another interception, this time on a ball that looked like it was intended for Bills safety Damar Hamlin from the instant the ball left Howard's hands. Howard crouched behind the play and lifted his hands in frustration and bewilderment as he watched Hamlin snag the pass as Lake McRee ran a different route than Howard anticipated. Howard was also sacked three times and evaluated for a head injury in the second half.
As they did in the second preseason game, Howard started in Buffalo and was relieved by Allar at halftime. Allar's second-half performance was lackluster, too. He had two near interceptions in the third, and he finished completing 9 of 18 attempts for 88 yards. Even so, Allar said he felt he had grown over his three preseason appearances.
"I feel good about everything that I put on tape," Allar said Thursday night. "I think the biggest thing is, I have a lot of great mentors between players and coaches to learn from, from the things I've done well and also the mistakes I've had.
"I feel really confident in the offense in terms of how to operate as a quarterback, not second guessing myself when I'm out there."
As Howard and Allar's stock faded in the second two preseason games, the standing of Rudolph, who suited up but didn't play in either of the two games, improved significantly.
"I'm confident in my ability," Rudolph said before the last preseason game. "I know that I'm a good player, but yeah, I've learned not to try to play prophet or speculate. I'm confident in what I've done and the rest is out of my control."
With a 42-year-old starting quarterback, the Steelers can't afford to have a developmental quarterback as their primary backup. And though Rudolph's unit didn't score in the two series he played in the first preseason game, his steady training camp performance and body of work made him the obvious choice to be Rodgers' primary backup.
"I think I can execute all the same concepts," Rudolph said of his fit in the offense behind Rodgers. "I like a lot of the same concepts. ... I think I've had a good camp, and I like the way that the offense is evolving and trending."