Ben Roethlisberger weighs in on the Steelers’ quarterback competition, urging Pittsburgh to keep both Will Howard and Drew Allar

Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers franchise quarterback who later became a longtime NFL media figure, offered a clear opinion on Pittsburgh’s current quarterback situation on Aug. 26. According to Yahoo Sports, Roethlisberger urged the Steelers to keep both quarterbacks, Will Howard and Drew Allar, in the mix rather than narrowing the room too quickly during the team’s ongoing evaluation process.

Roethlisberger’s stance speaks to a familiar challenge for teams carrying multiple young quarterbacks with different experience paths. The Steelers are a franchise with a large fan base and constant media attention, and that visibility can raise the pressure to declare a winner before a full assessment is complete. Roethlisberger’s comments, as described by Yahoo Sports, frame the decision less as a matter of preference and more as a matter of roster-building discipline, where influence and timing can matter as much as immediate impressions.

In practical terms, the idea of “keeping both” suggests Pittsburgh should treat its quarterback competition as a competition, not a one-week audition. While teams always seek clarity at the position, Roethlisberger’s perspective implies the Steelers benefit from maintaining room for multiple developing quarterbacks to continue learning the offense, timing routes with receivers, and responding to live-game and practice adjustments.

The Steelers’ quarterback room also carries an added layer of identity because Pittsburgh has historically relied on quarterback play that fits its organizational culture. Roethlisberger’s own career, anchored by two Super Bowl titles, gives his viewpoint extra weight among fans who remember how the franchise has approached the position over multiple eras. Yahoo Sports’ report positions Roethlisberger’s remarks as an attempt to help the organization think through the long-term implications of how it manages a quarterback group under scrutiny.

What to watch next is how the Steelers handle quarterback reps and decision-making as training camp and preseason evaluation move forward. If Roethlisberger’s recommendation is reflected in the team’s operational approach, Pittsburgh could keep both Howard and Allar in rotation as the staff continues to separate strengths, not just in mechanics but in processing speed, command of the offense, and consistency under pressure.

There are limits to what can be confirmed from the available reporting alone. The Yahoo Sports item indicates Roethlisberger’s message and names the two quarterbacks he wants the Steelers to keep together, but it does not, in the information provided here, detail any specific depth chart outcome, practice performance, or roster moves. For readers, that means the most actionable takeaway is the organizational philosophy behind the comment: keep options open while the evaluation process is still underway, then decide with more information rather than less.