As the Pittsburgh Steelers evaluate their final roster trim, former NFL quarterback Ben DiNucci , who spent two years playing for new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy in Dallas , believes that keeping four quarterbacks on the active 53-man roster is an impractical strategy that creates more roster headaches than solutions.
DiNucci, speaking during a radio segment hosted by Pittsburgh sports personality Andrew Fillipponi on 93 . 7 The Fan , offered insight from his time playing under. Having experienced roster construction as a third-string passer, DiNucci questioned the logic of devoting nearly eight percent of the active roster to one position.
"I don't think you can keep four guys," DiNucci noted, explaining that while holding three quarterbacks on the active roster and one on the practice squad is standard, hoarding four active spots depresses flexibility elsewhere.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Drew Allar, Will Howard and Aaron Rodgers at minicamp on June 3, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Carrying four quarterbacks poses a clear structural risk. Game-day active limits mean two of those signal-callers inevitably suit up in street clothes, taking up valuable real estate that could instead bolster depth at wide receiver, tight end, defensive line, or special teams. With crucial positions demanding rotational endurance, burning an active spot on an unusable reserve limits an offense or defense over a grueling 17-game season.
Yet, the gambit isn't entirely without merit. Quarterback injuries routinely derail promising seasons across the league, and having proven depth or high-upside young passers protected from the waiver wire provides insurance against a sudden catastrophe. Securing developmental talent on the primary roster prevents rival teams from poaching potential future starters off the practice squad. If a front office envisions a long-term transition at the position, keeping multiple passers in-house allows uninterrupted, hands-on instruction within the system.
Former Pine-Richland and Pitt quarterback Ben DiNucci plays during a preseason game with the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 17, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
But how much development will happen during the season with Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph dominating the reps in practice? Will there even be enough to go around for one of Will Howard and Drew Allar, let alone two? DiNucci is skeptical.
"The reps are going to be so few and far between now for anybody that's now Aaron, and you would expect that Mason is going to get a majority of the scout team reps, as well," DiNucci said. "For those guys, both of them, it's going to be a lot of just mental reps. I was the third quarterback my rookie year and my second year with Mike and a lot of it was just standing around, mental reps, and then lo and behold, my number was called my rookie year and you had to be ready to roll."
Ultimately, keeping four signal-callers remains a high-stakes balancing act. While the extra quarterback provides invaluable positional insurance, the immediate sacrifice in depth across the rest of the roster makes it a risk few NFL decision-makers are willing to take
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