Aaron Rodgers did not expect Steelers to keep four QBs

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the preseason with one of the most talked-about quarterback rooms in the NFL. With Mason Rudolph as the veteran backup, second-year quarterback Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar were both looking to show that they could be the future of the team at the position throughout the summer.

Many believed that Howard would take over for Rudolph as the No. 2 quarterback, as long as he played well enough in training camp and preseason to give Pittsburgh enough confidence to make that decision, while Allar would be the high-ceiling "project" quarterback for Mike McCarthy to try and mold into a potential starter. Rather than moving on from Rudolph and keeping both young signal callers, Pittsburgh kept all four – something Rodgers himself did not expect.

"I did not expect four quarterbacks on the roster," Rodgers said on Cam Heyward's podcast, Not Just Football . "I've never been part of [a room that kept] four quarterbacks. There were many years where two were just active and one on the p-squad. I knew when Drew was picked that would definitely shake things up in that room…"

Rodgers applauded Rudolph for his improvement during the offseason, as well as his play in the first preseason game agains the Green Bay Packers, saying he "closed the door" on the backup quarterback conversation. He also noted how proud he was of both Howard and Allar.

"I was proud of both those guys," Rodgers said. "I love Will. He's been in my hip pocket for a year now… it was fun to see him go out there because he's basically a rookie. He didn't play last year in the preseason… and Drew's been a sponge, as well. Quiet, as most rookies are. But it's one of my all-time favorite rooms for sure."

Part II of Heyward and Rodgers' conversation comes out later this week.

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