Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Calls Out Team's Risky 4-QB Roster Plan

The Pittsburgh Steelers appear dangerously close to becoming quarterback collectors. Mike McCarthy likes all four players in his room, the preseason did little to make any of them disposable and cutting a young passer could become the kind of decision everyone remembers if another club claims him. Ben Roethlisberger understands the temptation. After 18 NFL seasons, he also knows exactly which position tends to make teams regret using a roster spot somewhere else.

Pittsburgh's dilemma survived all three exhibitions. Aaron Rodgers is the unquestioned starter, while Mason Rudolph gives McCarthy an experienced No. 2 he believes can win games. Will Howard and Drew Allar are developmental investments the organization understandably has little interest in donating to another franchise.

McCarthy gave perhaps his strongest hint yet after the preseason finale in Buffalo. When asked about the possibility of keeping all four, he said that was an accurate evaluation of the situation and reiterated that Pittsburgh has two veterans it believes it can win with and two younger passers it is excited to develop. Roethlisberger is looking at the same room and arriving at a much different conclusion.

During a recent episode of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the former Steelers quarterback argued Pittsburgh would be sacrificing useful depth to protect a fourth passer who may spend the season collecting practice reps and excellent views of the sideline.

“You need as many, trust me, I’ve been around for 18 years, you need as many linemen as you can keep,” Roethlisberger said. “Don’t stiff that room for a quarterback that’s never going to see the field.”

Coming from a quarterback, that endorsement of extra offensive linemen carries a little more weight. Roethlisberger spent nearly two decades relying on the big men in front of him and experienced enough reshuffled blocking units to understand how quickly August depth becomes November necessity.

The Steelers do not have to search very hard for current evidence, either. First-round rookie Max Iheanachor missed almost the entire preseason before finally returning against the Buffalo Bills. Broderick Jones spent the summer working back from neck surgery while bouncing between tackle spots. Even before the regular season begins, Pittsburgh has already been reminded that offensive-line plans tend to come with an eraser nearby.

Keeping four quarterbacks could force the organization to carry one fewer blocker than it otherwise prefers. A four-quarterback roster squeeze could also cost Pittsburgh depth in the secondary, defensive front or linebacker room. There are only 53 chairs, and QB4 does not receive a folding one in the hallway just because the coaching staff likes him.

Roethlisberger expanded that argument by questioning the actual return Pittsburgh would receive from protecting the fourth spot.

“Why do we need to keep four guys when you can take this guy away, the fourth guy, and put him as a lineman, a DB, a linebacker, a D-lineman, spots that you’re going to need?” Roethlisberger said.

His point is not that quarterback depth lacks value. Nobody understands the importance of the position better than someone who played it for 18 years. The distinction is how likely each roster spot is to become useful during the season.

If Rodgers stays healthy and Rudolph remains the backup, Pittsburgh could go months without needing either young passer in meaningful action. Meanwhile, offensive linemen rotate because of injuries, defensive backs are needed for sub-packages and special teams, and linebackers can earn Sunday helmets through several different roles.

That does not make the answer painless. Howard finally received the preseason opportunity he lost to injury as a rookie and showed enough development to make exposing him difficult. Allar is a third-round selection with arm talent Pittsburgh clearly believes is worth developing. The uncomfortable part is that keeping promising quarterbacks sometimes requires acknowledging there are not enough active-roster jobs for everyone.

Pittsburgh's final decision arrives by Sunday's roster deadline. The organization has spent the summer valuing depth at every position, but four quarterbacks would make one room considerably deeper by requiring another to become thinner.

Steelers Have To Decide Where Insurance Matters Most

The argument for keeping four is easy to understand. Rodgers has already said 2026 will be his final season, Rudolph is the veteran bridge and Howard and Allar could factor into whatever comes next. Losing either young passer before Pittsburgh fully understands what it has would be difficult to swallow. Roethlisberger is challenging the organization to think about the season directly in front of it.

The Steelers expect to contend now, and contenders rarely reach December with the same offensive line, defensive backfield and linebacker rotation they envisioned in August. A 10th blocker or final defensive back can look like roster excess on cutdown day and become somebody's starter four months later.

That is where Roethlisberger's experience shapes his opinion. He has watched seasons turn on backup linemen being forced into significant snaps. He knows how quickly one injury becomes two and how little comfort a fourth quarterback provides while a reserve tackle is trying to survive against an elite edge rusher.

McCarthy has spent weeks praising the quarterback room, and Pittsburgh may ultimately decide protecting the future is worth one fewer body elsewhere. Roethlisberger simply believes the calculation has gone too far if the Steelers start trimming positions they know will absorb attrition.

Four quarterbacks would certainly make Pittsburgh rich at the most important position. Roethlisberger's warning is that the Steelers could feel awfully poor everywhere else the moment somebody gets hurt.

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