The Pittsburgh Steelers made an unusual call when they finalized their initial 53-man roster, keeping all four quarterbacks they carried through the preseason. Former Steelers offensive lineman and Super Bowl winner Willie Colon, however, believes one of those spots should have gone to another position.

Colon discussed the roster on the “In The Locker Room” podcast after Pittsburgh decided to keep Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and rookie Drew Allar, and his view was straightforward.

“They should’ve let go of Will Howard,” said Colon (as quoted by Steelers Depot). “If you’re talking about what they let go, and I know we’re still sifting through this roster, there’s some names that I feel like should’ve made it but didn’t… You have Mason [Rudolph] as your number two. Drew Allar, he’s a rookie, but I think what stuck out on tape for me was his ability to improvise when things broke down. Mike McCarthy talked about that, I think, after the game against the Jets.”

The Steelers had spent the offseason building a very different quarterback room. Rodgers returned for another season, Rudolph remained in the mix as the veteran backup, and Pittsburgh added Allar with the 76th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Howard entered the summer as the team’s second-year developmental quarterback after being selected in the sixth round in 2025.

“Will Howard, he didn’t show me enough… If you’re trying to build a roster that you can go to battle with and win games, there’s some guys that I feel like you’re gonna need that they let go. I think you can afford to let Will Howard go,” Colon added.

Drew Allar’s preseason had included a strong opening performance before Pittsburgh’s young quarterbacks struggled against the Jets in Week 2. In that 17-0 loss, Howard and Allar were unable to get the offense moving.

Howard eventually finished the preseason 26-of-39 for 229 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also took five sacks, finishing with a 67.2 passer rating, according to the Steelers.

The Jets game became an important part of the discussion around Howard, but it did not change Pittsburgh’s plans. Head coach Mike McCarthy had already indicated that carrying four quarterbacks was a realistic possibility, and the Steelers ultimately followed through when the roster was finalized.

The Steelers kept Rodgers, Rudolph, Howard, and Allar on the initial 53-man roster, joining the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles as the four teams that entered the season with four quarterbacks on their active rosters.

Mike McCarthy has also pushed back on concerns that carrying four quarterbacks could limit Howard and Allar’s development.

“I don’t think it’d hurt at all,” McCarthy said. “If you have four quarterbacks in that room, especially the quality we have right now, I think it only enhances what the regular season would look like.”

For Howard, the decision keeps his development in Pittsburgh alive for another season. He has yet to appear in a regular-season game, but the Steelers clearly preferred keeping him in-house rather than exposing him to the waiver process.

Colon’s comments now sit alongside an increasingly interesting quarterback debate in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have made their choice for the opening roster: Rodgers remains the starter, Rudolph provides the veteran depth, and both young quarterbacks have survived the final cut. The Steelers open their regular season on September 13 at home against the Atlanta Falcons.