The Pittsburgh Steelers have a ton of depth at nearly every single position. That makes it very tough for the team's brass to figure out who should stick around on the 53-man roster and who should get cut. That decision becomes even tougher considering the fact that the reported plan is to keep four quarterbacks, which would mean another position would have to be stretched thinner to make room.The initial 53-man roster is not finalized, as many moves could still be made to free up roster spots before Week 1.
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Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
There has been a ton of debate over who should be kept on the team between Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. The veteran seems to be all but confirmed to have a spot considering how head coach Mike McCarthy sat him in the final two preseason games. Meanwhile, the former sixth-round pick had a very up-and-down month of August, and a reported head injury doesn't help out there.
That last little detail could be the key to this dilemma. While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Nick Farabaugh explained how the Steelers could have their cake and eat it too.
"I think it was all but achieved that they were going to keep four [quarterbacks], and now they have an out if they want to," Farabaugh said. "They have an escape path. They can place [Will Howard] on IR and he does not have to be on the initial 53-[man roster]. He could be designated to return, and that could be their way out here. That allows them to keep an extra guy if they want to: a Robert Spears-Jennings or someone like that."
The more things change, the more things stay the same. In 2025, the Steelers didn't want to cut any of their quarterbacks, so they put Howard on Injured Reserve (IR) and only designated him to return when Skylar Thompson suffered a season-ending injury. Despite having a new head coach and a near-total turnover of the coaching staff, it sounds like that might be the plan again.
The actual severity of Howard's head injury has not been revealed yet, and it's unclear if it will ever be truly brought to light. Either way, putting him on IR could still an option for Pittsburgh to make sure it can keep more players. He would have to miss the first four weeks, and then he would get designated to return once someone else gets hurt if the situation continues to play out like it did in 2025.
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Steelers quarterback Will Howard gets ready to unleash a pass as he runs through a drill as the team works out during the annual Friday Night Lights practice in Latrobe, PA.
The biggest loser in this whole scenario is Howard. Sure, he gets to stay on the team as opposed to getting cut, but he is still unable to practice while on IR. He would be just standing off to the side and trying to get mental reps in while waiting for someone to suffer a severe enough injury to warrant him to be on the roster. For a young quarterback that's trying to develop and prove himself, this could be disastrous.
Steelers' Options To Keep If Howard Goes On IR
Farabaugh mentioned Robert Spears-Jennings as an option, but his job already feels safe, especially with injuries at the safety position. If Howard goes on IR, someone like Sebastian Castro could be kept around at first to make sure that there is more depth at the position. When both starters are dealing with nagging issues, it makes sense to load up on as much depth as possible.
The Steelers might be able to keep a seventh defensive lineman if they want to go that route too. Esezi Otomewo was on Pittsburgh's roster throughout the 2025 season, so it would not be surprising to see him get that final spot on the team if Howard gets placed on IR. He played in 12 games and recorded a sack during his first year with the organization.
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