McCarthy says all four Steelers quarterbacks have earned spots
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy expressed confidence in all four of his quarterbacks' futures with the organization following Thursday night's 28-27 preseason finale loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Asked if he believed all four quarterbacks had earned a roster spot, McCarthy described it as "a very accurate evaluation."
"I feel good about the quarterback room," he said. "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."
Though McCarthy has never kept four quarterbacks on his 53-man roster in Week 1 throughout his 18-year career as a head coach, he has strongly hinted throughout the preseason that this year will break his precedent.
Along with starter Aaron Rodgers and veteran backup Mason Rudolph, McCarthy has been impressed by the performances of second-year quarterback Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar.
McCarthy's two young quarterbacks were the focal point yet again Thursday night. Starting his second consecutive preseason game, Howard completed 9 of 15 attempts for 69 yards with two touchdown passes. He also threw an interception, took three sacks and was evaluated for a head injury in the second half. He wasn't available to speak with the media after the game because he was still being evaluated.
Howard's first score came as he tossed a quick pass to wide receiver Germie Bernard, who muscled his way through contact for a 13-yard touchdown. Howard also connected with tight end Lake McCree for a 5-yard score in the first half.