In Friday's preseason game against the New York Jets, the Pittsburgh Steelers relied on only two quarterbacks—Will Howard and Drew Allar. The team failed to score a single point, and the game's outcome cast doubt on the readiness of the young players.
In the first half, Howard completed 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards, but turned the ball over to the opponent twice. Both interceptions were the result of poor decisions at key moments, including in the red zone.
After the break, Allar protected the ball from turnovers, but finished the game with 11 of 23 passes for 109 yards with no touchdowns. Neither of the young quarterbacks was able to demonstrate their ability to lead the offense.
According to Gerry Dulac of 102.5 DVE, the club has already decided to keep Howard and Allar on the roster. The only question now is how many quarterbacks in total will remain—three or four.
Mason Rudolph, who did not take the field, unexpectedly turned out to be the biggest beneficiary of the evening. His experience and ability to manage Mike McCarthy's system look like a reliable insurance policy behind Aaron Rodgers.
Can Pittsburgh afford to take the risk and keep only young players without a proven veteran?
The decision to keep Howard and Allar seems logical: both remain investments in the future. However, Friday's game showed why it is too early to rush into parting ways with Rudolph.
