ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- 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.
Mirroring the second preseason game, Allar replaced Howard at halftime against the Bills. The third-round pick completed 9 of 18 attempts for 88 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Allar also wasn't sacked. After Buffalo mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to take a one-point lead with a minute to play, Allar returned to lead the two-minute offense. He completed the first pass to wide receiver Cornell Powell, but his last three fell incomplete, including a final heave on 4th-and-7.
Still, Allar said it was a valuable learning experience.
"As much as we wanted to go down and win the game, it's also great things to learn from," Allar said. "Especially speaking for myself, just being in different situations and gaining experience in those just to know next time, whether it's practice or a game or whatever, the next time I'm in that situation, I know what to expect and how to handle that a little bit."
Allar also pointed to the valuable mentorship from veterans, including Rodgers and Rudolph, as aiding in his development throughout the preseason. While Rudolph was suited up on the sideline Thursday night, Rodgers was absent. Rodgers was among several notable veterans who didn't travel to Buffalo, including Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt, Michael Pittman Jr. and DK Metcalf.
"We had a list of guys that didn't travel and it was all based off things they were dealing with all through camp," McCarthy said. "So, they were put into working with trainers and so forth. ... That's kind of the process I've always done. You take a look at the guys, and if they're not going to play in the game and have something that they can gain from a rehab workout and those types of things, sports science tells you to leave them home."
