Bryan DeArdo#4 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 28, 2026
A CBS Sports piece lays out Pittsburgh's quarterback pecking order: Aaron Rodgers starts, Mason Rudolph is the No. 2, rookie Drew Allar sits at No. 3 and Will Howard is fourth, with the Steelers expected to keep all four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster rather than trading Howard.
Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original
What Bryan DeArdo said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromAs previously established, the Steelers plan on contending this (and every) season, which is why Rudolph will more likely than not be Pittsburgh's No. 2 quarterback.
- Where it was published
- CBS Sports
- The piece
- Steelers appear set on keeping four quarterbacks, but who is the odd man out if that decision changes?
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidAug 28
- GradedSep 25
- 1Drew Allar to make the roster“it appears the Steelers' initial 53-man roster will indeed include each of the team's four quarterbacks”
- 2Mason Rudolph to make the roster“Beyond that, Rudolph's performance this summer also merits a spot on the 53-man roster.”
- 3Will Howard to be cut“By keeping all four, McCarthy will put himself in position to maximize this season's potential and starting the post-Rodgers era next season with two young quarterbacks under contract.”
- 4Drew Allar to be 3rd on the depth chart“Allar will likely get his chance to earn that opportunity after spending his rookie season as the team's No. 3 quarterback”
- 5Aaron Rodgers to be 1st on the depth chart“Start: Aaron Rodgers”
- 6Will Howard to be 4th on the depth chart“The consensus entering the preseason was that Allar was probably ahead of Howard on the hypothetical depth chart, and that continues to be the case.”
- 7Mason Rudolph to be 2nd on the depth chart“which is why Rudolph will more likely than not be Pittsburgh's No. 2 quarterback”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Allar to make the roster1 | Roster Spot Calls | 3 weeks on a 53 | 100 | 0 | +200 | |
| Mason Rudolph to make the roster2 | Roster Spot Calls | 3 weeks on a 53 | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Will Howard to be cut3 | Roster Spot Calls | 3 weeks on a 53 | 0 | 100 | −200 | |
| Drew Allar to be 3rd on the depth chart4 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Aaron Rodgers to be 1st on the depth chart5 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Will Howard to be 4th on the depth chart6 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Mason Rudolph to be 2nd on the depth chart7 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 calls · 2 hits · 1 miss · 4 waiting | 66.7 | 66.7 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naiveworse than naive7 checkable claims — 4 depth chart calls and 3 roster spot calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
3 of 7 have settled so far, averaging 66.7 out of 100, against 66.7 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 4 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 2.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Drew Allar · 2026 season7 calls from 7 pundits between 1 and 4. Bryan DeArdo said 3. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
1Roster Spot CallsDrew AllarPittsburgh Steelers
Drew Allar to make the roster
What happened3 weeks on a 53100Hit · naive 0100this call−0a naive guess=100better than naive×2difficulty=+200skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- PIT
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- Drew Allar
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
2Roster Spot CallsMason RudolphPittsburgh Steelers
Mason Rudolph to make the roster
What happened3 weeks on a 53100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- PIT
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Mason Rudolph
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
3Roster Spot CallsWill HowardPittsburgh Steelers
Will Howard to be cut
What happened3 weeks on a 530Miss · naive 1000this call−100a naive guess=−100worse than naive×2difficulty=−200skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- PIT
- skill:
- −200
- player:
- Will Howard
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he does not make the 53
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
4Depth Chart CallsDrew AllarPittsburgh Steelers
Drew Allar to be 3rd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Depth Chart CallsAaron RodgersPittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Depth Chart CallsWill HowardPittsburgh Steelers
Will Howard to be 4th on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
7Depth Chart CallsMason RudolphPittsburgh Steelers
Mason Rudolph to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 3 settled calls, each counted once
66.7naive 66.7
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
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Harrison picked the Steelers to beat the Browns in their Sunday meeting, saying Pittsburgh would even the season series at 1-1 after losing the first matchup.
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Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.