Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Mc Carthy expressed confidence that all four quarterbacks have earned roster spots following Thursday's 28-27 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. "I feel good about the quarterback room," Mc Carthy said. "We got two veterans that we can win with, and we got two young guys that we're excited about the future." Though Mc Carthy has never kept four quarterbacks on a Week 1 roster in his 18-year career, he strongly hinted this year breaks precedent.

Starter Aaron Rodgers and veteran backup Mason Rudolph anchor the room, while second-year Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar impressed. Howard started his second consecutive preseason game, completing 9 of 15 passes for 69 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He threw scores to Germie Bernard (13 yards) and Lake Mc Cree (5 yards) before being evaluated for a head injury. Allar replaced Howard at halftime, going 9 of 18 for 88 yards with no sacks. He led a two-minute drill that fell short on a final 4th-and-7 heave.

"It's also great things to learn from," Allar said of the experience. He credited mentorship from Rodgers and Rudolph for his development. Rodgers was among several veterans — including Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt, Michael Pittman Jr., and DK Metcalf — who didn't travel to Buffalo. Mc Carthy said the absences were based on camp workload and sports science.